


All the Lights Above

by lochmere



Category: RWBY
Genre: Action/Adventure, Canon Compliant, Canon Era, Canon Universe, Canon-Typical Violence, Drama, Major Original Character(s), Minor Original Character(s), Original Character(s), Original Character-centric, POV Multiple, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-23
Updated: 2018-06-29
Packaged: 2018-08-24 06:07:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 48
Words: 99,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8360350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lochmere/pseuds/lochmere
Summary: Since Mankind has existed, their path forward has always been illuminated by all the lights above. When four new students attend Beacon Academy, they find that those lights take on new meaning as they grow not just as individuals, but as a team as well. Yet nothing could prepare them for what lies ahead, as an ancient legend begins to come to life with them caught at the center.





	1. Prologue: A Light Snuffed Out

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: I don't own RWBY, the universe it's set in, or anything of that sort. Heck, if RoosterTeeth wants to use this for a spin off or something, by all means DO IT (just please let me know if by some miracle you all choose to do that) :)
> 
> This is an original story set in the RWBY universe, featuring an OC team. I aim to keep canon as intact as possible, however my team won't be just attached to the canon cast and the stories that take place in the show. My goal is to create a story that could be seen as a spin off, happening just off screen from the main show. If you have a few moments, I would love you forever if you left some feedback. My goal in writing this is to improve as a writer :) That being said, regardless if anyone actually reads this I plan to finish this story completely; high view counts/bookmarks/kudos/reviews/internet fame/etc aren't the goal here.
> 
> Three quick notes: Will be adding tags as I write and sorry about any odd formatting, still trying to figure out the system here on AO3! Finally, I write updates in bulk meaning each update will be 5 or more chapters at a time. Helps me avoid retcons and stay flexible, although updates will be a bit slower.
> 
> Anyways, hope you all enjoy :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I don't own RWBY, the universe it's set in, or anything of that sort, that's all Rooster Teeth. But then again, I'm sure you already knew that.
> 
> If you are a returning reader, the start of new content will be marked in the chapter name. This way it can be easier to jump back into the story at the beginning of an update since I post multiple chapters at a time. (Current start of new content is Chapter 21)

**Somewhere in the Kingdom of Mistral**

The moonlight still trickling through the canopy above gave her hope. It was not too late, not yet. But he was more than a few steps ahead of her and would reach their mutual destination first.

"Do you even have a plan?" shouted her companion from far behind her, trying to keep up despite lacking the same speed.

"Stop him, save her, that's the only plan there is!" How he had found her, she had no clue. Why he was doing this, she had even less of a clue. It didn't matter though, none of it did, as long as the huntress could reach her old friend. The forest suddenly lit up, beams of light blazing into the sky above.

Star was too late; he had reached her.

Faster and faster she urged her legs to move, leaving her teammate in the dust. The lights continued to flash, quicker and more frequently. Closer and closer she came, finally bursting into a clearing where the battle raged.

"Mare!" she screamed. Suddenly, a flash brighter than any she had ever seen forced her eyes shut lest she go blind. Tumbling to the ground, the light still glared through her eyelids as heat washed over her skin. Then darkness. When she reopened them, she wished she never had.

The clearing was now dark, but an illuminated figure stood over a body. His white teeth smiled as he looked down at the fallen figure, before a flash of light appeared and disappeared, taking him with it. Holding back her tears, the huntress slowly got up and stumbled over to her worst fears. Clicking on a light finally forced a tear to be shed.

He got her. He actually did it.

"Is she…?" a voice asked fearfully. Celestia caught up to her.

"She's going to be nothing but ash soon" The beams of light had charred her body, but ultimately, him absorbing all the light from within her was what would wipe her from Remnant for good. Tears now flowed openly from her eyes. Why did this have to happen? A hand was placed on her shoulder.

"She's at peace now Star," her partner whispered, although her eyes were watering now too, "She won't suffer anymore."

"I'll kill him, Ce" Star swore through the tears, "I'll find him and end him for what he did."

"No! He'll be coming for you next and if he gets you too-"

"I don't care, let him come! He'll pay for…" Her voice failed her as she watched her friend's still warm body begin to blow away with the wind. That's when Star, even through the tears, saw something.

"Ce, her markings."

"What?"

"They're still there."

"But that means…he failed?"

"She passed her light onto the next Aspect before he even got here," she whispered in shock "He was too late."

"But when he realizes that, he'll start searching every trace of where she's been. He won't stop-"

"-then we'll have to keep him focused on finding me instead. We owe Mare that much."

The wind picked up, accelerating the disintegration of their former teammate's body. Star reached out, feeling her friend's body flow through her fingertips as it rose into the air around them. The ash was illuminated by the stars and the shattered moon above, before vanishing into the darkness that engulfed all that the light could not reach.


	2. A Foreign Land

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you kept reading past the prologue, thank you, and hope you keep on reading :)

**Cliffs near Beacon Academy, Vale**

**_17 years later…_ **

The lack of snow was probably the most jarring thing to her about Vale. That, and the lack of her mother's constant supervision. Unlike those around her who were dazzled by the waterfalls at Beacon Academy's cliffs, Murasaki Zenith was unfazed. While certainly tall, they were not nearly as vast as the ones back in Stillfalls. Hefting her pack up, her shields clanging off the back, she stepped off the boat with the few others who also seemed to be unimpressed by the falls. Stretching upwards ahead, a long zig zagging path led up the cliff face towards the school. It seemed all those times walking down the cliffs to the shoreline back home were about to come in handy after all.

The trip to Vale from Atlas had taken much longer than she anticipated. Between having to change boats in several places and the detours to avoid roaming packs of aquatic Grimm, Murasaki had arrived in Vale a full week after she had planned. Luckily, there was ship going directly to Beacon in the last port she was in, which let her arrive just in time for the Academy's opening ceremonies, provided this long walk didn't delay her further. It was just the next challenge to overcome. Figuring some music would do her good, she reached for her scroll in her jean's pocket.

Her legs stopped as her hand found nothing but lint.

' _Damn, did I drop it on the boat? Or did I leave it…oh right_ ' Mura knew exactly where her scroll was, in the exact spot she left it. Turned off with the memory wiped, the device was sitting on the end table in her room back home. Despite its usefulness, the signal could be tracked, meaning all her mother had to do was request the scroll's location from the CCT network, which they would give her since Mura was still a minor despite being seventeen years of age, and a runaway at that. Wiping the memory also prevented her mother from seeing the correspondence detailing her application and subsequent acceptance into Beacon. All powering it back up would reveal was a fake travel schedule that showed her ending up in Vacuo. There was no evidence her true destination was Beacon Academy.

A tear stained face cast in the moonlight appeared in Mura's mind as the memory of the night she ran from home was recalled. That horrified look her mother gave her as Mura stood half way out the door in the dead of night. She was left completely in the dark, and while it pained Mura to have done this, she didn't regret any of it. She was not going back.

Continuing back up the cliff, Mura tried to push aside the thoughts of the home she left behind. Her overbearing mother constantly limiting her, trying to keep her coddled and safe. The admonishing looks her neighbors gave her, filled with a mixture of pity and aversion. The local Atlas commander that constantly kept pressuring her to apply to the Atlas Academy, to serve like her father. Then when she wasn't at the local combat school, her mother constantly keeping her at home, even forbidding her to spend time weapons training outside the 'safe environment of the classroom'. All of this because her dear old dad went and leapt over the towering falls to escape his own life.

Mura stopped and looked out from the cliffs. Deep breath in, deep breath out. That was all behind her now, left behind in the dead of night when she escaped her home. It seemed like a whole lifetime ago, so far away and distant. The wind off the water picked up, blowing through her purple hair as her gaze viewed the City of Vale in the distance. Having never left the Kingdom of Atlas before, the environment was a fresh change of pace from back home, even if the waterfalls were subpar. The vegetation, even on these rocky cliffs, was far more green and vibrant than back home. The weather was warmer as well, making Mura regret wearing long wool sleeves and jeans that was norm in northernmost kingdom. This poor decision was even more apparent as she finished the hike to the top, her skin was radiating heat and her clothes drenched in sweat.

' _I need to change before I get known as the BO girl around here'_  While she had a spare change of clothes in her pack, there didn't appear to be any restrooms nearby. In fact, the area at the top of the cliffs was mostly barren apart from a long road that led towards the school. Airships continued unloading more people behind her, with those newcomers walking down the main road looking fresh and clean in contrast to Murasaki's own disheveled appearance. Hoping for some sort of place to change, Mura followed, albeit at a distance. None of them seemed to be transfers like her, their weather appropriate clothing suggested growing up here in Vale.

Except for one, which brought the sweaty Atlesian girl to a sudden halt as she reached the courtyard. On the back of a white dress was a logo that every single Atlas citizen knew by sight. The Schnee Dust Company. Mura honestly hadn't expected to see any other foreign students here at Beacon, much less a Schnee. This was bad. Really bad. As in the sort of bad that would make all her efforts to escape home for naught. Her mother had likely reported her missing by now, meaning at some point or another, the military might think to check other academies, asking their overseas citizens first. With how few students transfer from other kingdoms, she would stick out like a sore thumb if this Schnee girl knew about her.

Luckily, the pale white girl seemed focus at yelling at a terrified looking girl on the ground. Heading around behind the two, Mura ducked off behind one of the arches, hoping to find a way inside without crossing paths with that girl again. According to the boat captain, first years were to meet in the main amphitheater, just beyond the courtyard with the statue. A bead of sweat rolled off her nose. Right, still needed to swap ditch these sweaty rags.

Entering one of main hallways away from the amphitheater entrance, she wandered down the hall looking for a bathroom, or even just a closet at this point. However, after a few minutes of searching, a faint sound of footsteps behind her became apparent. Pretending to check her bag, Mura glanced over her shoulder and saw a dark skinned man a good distance back from her, just glancing around in no particular direction. He looked the total the opposite of her, taller and more muscular, wearing sleeveless black robes, with matching cloth shorts. Unlike most students, who brought bags filled with clothing, gear, and personal objects, he only had a small pouch attached to what looked like a simple staff on his back. Mura turned and kept walking, her mind mulling over the sight.

' _He couldn't be from Atlas, could he?_   _There is no way they could have tracked me already_ ' The footsteps continued behind her. She was definitely being followed. Fear started creeping in; she was so close to freedom, yet now she might be dragged back home anyways. Rounding a corner, what looked to be a janitor's closet came into view. She quickened her pace to the door, feeling relief that it was unlocked and slipped inside before her follower could round the corner. The sound got louder and louder as she stayed still amongst the cleaning supplies then began to fade as it passed the door. Waiting a few moments more before being satisfied that she had lost the stranger, Mura set her bag down and dug out some lighter clothes.

' _Much better'_ she sighed, relaxing as the air started cooling her body through the light weight workout clothes she changed into. Might not be the best dressed amongst the new students, but comfort came first. Packing up the old outfit, Mura exited the closet with backpack in hand only to come a dead stop. The guy somehow came back without making a sound, apparently to examine the view out a window. Gritting her teeth in frustration she began walking towards the stranger. If he was here to take her back, why didn't he make a move yet? If he wasn't, then why the hell was he following her to begin with?

It was time to find out.

"Do you need something?" her voice as confident as she could make it. The stranger glanced away from the view to look at her. His square face seemed almost off put that she acknowledged him. No answer. What was with this guy?

"Well? Any particular reason why you're stalking me?"

Still no answer, although his eyes widened slightly. Being accused of stalking seemed to upset him slightly.

"You know, I thought the people of Vale had better manners, like answering questions asked of them," Mura remarked. Her right arm slowly reached down, finding the rim of her shield, ready to yank it out if he reacted aggressively. Instead a sneer formed on his face from the insult, like she was an idiot for thinking that.

"You're not from Vale are you?" That hunch proved correct as the sneer vanished in a smirk, the stranger's orange eyes shifting as if to say 'duh'.

"Well neither am I, so why-Hey!" Right as she admitted she wasn't from Vale, the stranger's face became despondent as he turned and walked off. Was he only following her because he thought she was from Vale? Why would he do that? Unless…

"You're lost aren't you?" This hunch was correct as well. The silent youth stopped dead, without turning to face her. Mura's laughter echoed through the empty hall; he was only following her because he was lost, a foreigner in a foreign land like her. This guy wasn't much different than her it seemed, apart from the creepy method to getting directions.

"Opening ceremony right? Is that what you're going to?" This got him to glance back, his face showing a very reluctant affirmation. He must not have gotten the arrival speech or followed the crowd upon arriving. She walked towards him, relaxing her arm away from her shield.

"Well I know where it is if you want to come with me," she said as she passed him. He moved to follow when she came about and looked up into his eyes. He abruptly came to a stop, surprised.

"That is, of course, if you tell me your name." Mura wasn't taking another step unless she knew who she was leading. His oblong face was taught, staring back at her without a word.

"Umbra Imaly," a deep voice rumbled as the face released some tension.

"So you can speak, how about that." she laughed. Umbra just glanced away, looking annoyed at being forced to reveal his name all for the sake of directions.

"Murasaki Zenith, it's nice to meet someone else from outside of Vale." No response again, continuing to irritate her. Yet, he did give his name, so Mura started walking again, tracing her steps back out to where the courtyard was. Silence remained the status quo between the two, though it was nothing more than a slight annoyance now. Voices of other students became louder as they neared the amphitheater.

"Well here we are-" It was then Mura noticed Umbra had vanished. She swore, not sure how he managed to leave without her noticing. He must have done it the moment they entered, slipping into the crowd of people without a trace.

' _What a strange guy_ '


	3. Seeking Direction

**Amphitheater, Beacon Academy**

The purple haired girl looked around briefly before moving on. Not that she would have spotted him anyway even if she had continued looking, not with him engulfed in the shadows cast by the overhead arches in the sunlight. As she moved off, Umbra Imaly eased off his semblance, letting the shadows fall away from him back to their natural locations. The fact this Murasaki even looked for him after they arrived in the amphitheater struck him as a bit odd; he had only used her for directions, nothing more. Then again, everything he had encountered since arriving struck him as odd; it was so different compared to life in a nomadic tribe.

He already missed the open air and the empty land of Vacuo that the Skugga traveled throughout. The untouched wilderness he would explore while hunting. The quiet environment, only punctuated by brief conversations and the natural world around them as his tribe traveled around. This place had already proven to be far noisier and crowded then any place he had been before. It wasn't even the kind of noise Umbra was accustomed to, it was all laughter and lightly toned chatter. There were no sounds of combat, no sense of seriousness. He grew up sparing with his tribe mates; silently grinning in triumph as he knocked them into the dirt time and time again. There was none of that here, at least none that he had seen. This was suppose to be a school for warriors?

Despite all of these new surroundings, part of him felt no desire to return home, at least not yet. For the first time in his life, Umbra was actually sent out into the world instead of being hidden away from it. The past several years of his life, hell, most of his life, had been spent being told his time would come. Constantly training, pushing his limits, only to be held back from raids on settlements, being told to stay back even when those younger than him were allowed to attempt their first kill against settlers. Anger swelled in him as he remembered wandering through a ruined settlement, seeing others his age compared their new kill marks on their arms. Umbra's own arms remained bare as the day he was born.

Static feedback cut through that anger as the speakers came to life. Umbra glanced over the heads of the others to see an older bespectacled man approach the microphone on stage, cane in hand. A hush fell over the crowded room.

"I'll...keep this brief," the man said, pushing his spectacles up the bridge of his nose.

"You have traveled here today in search of knowledge. To hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you finish, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people."

Umbra scoffed. He was only here because his tribe had sent him here on a mission, certainly not so he could become a protector of people. As the pride of the Skugga, Umbra knew he was destined for far greater things. This had been told to him throughout his entire life by his chief and all the elders. Finally, after waiting and training all these years, his mission was suddenly revealed to him last week: bring to life a legend that will restore his tribe to its former glory; to bring back a time of the Lightless Night.

"But I look amongst you and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose, direction."

This sentence gave the Vacuo native pause. Purpose he had, the responsibility his tribe had entrusted to him, the whole reason he was here. He had been given no real instructions though, no direction. The only knowledge he had was the tale itself, and that was vague enough. The tale was told to the children of the tribe, of a time when their people could move at night completely hidden, with no stars and moon to reveal their presence to others. A time where they ruled the night, where all who opposed them vanished in the darkness. Umbra always thought it was a mere tale to inspire pride in the tribe; that they had been great once and would be once again. The young were made to retell it over and over, until they memorized it from start to finish. But to be told it was real, to be charged with making it a reality…it was a daunting task.

A bead of cold sweat rolled down his forehead at these thoughts, all caused by that last sentence. This old man shouldn't be capable of causing this kind of emotion in him.

"You assume knowledge will free you of this, but you will find at this school that knowledge will only carry you so far" The older huntsman's eyes narrowed.

"It is up to you to take the first step."

With that enigmatic statement, the cane using man walked away, with a blonde women taking his place. Although she started speaking, her words fell deaf on his ears. The old man's words, they hung about in his mind.

' _The first step…_ ' Umbra really had no idea where this first step should be taken. Questions were not something he had a chance to ask before leaving, given how abruptly he had left. One moment he helping his tribe mates loot a settlement they had set up to be attacked by Grimm, the next he was being shoved in the dirt by Nox, head of the warriors in the tribe. His mission was quickly whispered into his ear, followed by a blade between the ribs to create a convincing image of a lone wounded survivor. Found by the arriving Vacuo military responding to the attack, he was taken to Vacuo city proper to be treated, before a Skugga informant passed over papers showing he was accepted into some place known as Beacon Academy.

In minutes, his whole life changed, no longer being held back from raids or partaking in worshipping the holy creatures of Grimm. So many questions rang through his head, but he only had one statement to deal with them.

' _I will not fail._ ' This declaration was made in Umbra's mind as he was lifted, still bleeding, into the Vacuo airship. It rang true during the lonely flight to the far away Kingdom of Vale. Even now it lingered in his mind. It didn't matter if he didn't know where the first step was, Umbra would not let his tribe down; he would validate their faith in him as the pride of the Skugga.

His confidence growing stronger, Umbra refocused on the women talking-only to see her gone from the stage with everyone moving out of the amphitheater. His renewed confidence deflated like a balloon, replaced by the same creeping panic he felt earlier when he was trying to find where the opening ceremonies started. Everything just moved so quickly here, nothing like what he grew up with.

' _The group, focus on the group. No different than tracking herds of animals_ ' Umbra told himself, trying not to lose his cool. Quickly moving from his spot towards to exiting mob, so quickly, he almost slammed into the floor by tripping over a figure on the ground. Lurching forward, Umbra barely caught his balance, snarling as he turned to look at the idiot who got in his way. Slumped up against the back wall was a scraggly blue haired male, looking completely out of it to point of not even noticing Umbra's presence. The urge to kick the collapsed over teen set in quick, but he forced himself to ignore it as the group was getting farther and farther away.

Someone who passed out from a simple speech wasn't worth his time anyways. Umbra had one goal, one mission: to restore the Skugga Tribe to glory by fulfilling the  _Legend of Lightless Night_.


	4. Career Planning

**Amphitheater, Beacon Academy**

_*'Wave building up height, gotta paddle gotta paddle gotta paddle get in the tube get in the tube YES this is-'_ *dark face of a sharzark suddenly appears, inches away*' _WHAT IS THAT-'*_ Water flows around me, sinking now, cold water filling lungs, no air left, bubbles rush out* ' _WHY DOES MY SIDE'- *_  Lots of teeth, all sharp, clamped around my right side, getting blurrier and blurrier, sight darkening*' _can't feel my-'_ *

Leif Circinus scrunched his green eyes shut, shaking his head to try and clear away the eight-year-old memory. Upon opening them, he was back in the auditorium, slumped slightly backwards against a pillar on the back wall. The masses that had gathered were already mostly gone, with a tall dark skinned teen exiting with the last of them. Most seemed too excited to notice his odd position. Except for one, a lupine Faunus standing in front of him.

"You okay?" she asked, her voice quiet and soft.

"A bit of a headache, but yeah I'm alright. Just my annoying semblance is all."

Of the two main reasons for coming to Beacon, reason number two was gaining better control of his semblance. It had always been a double edged sword, allowing him to relive memories, complete with the exact emotions, senses, and thoughts that were going on when the memory occurred. It was always a perfect recollection, with first person view point through his own eyes, like it was actually happening all over again, for better or worse.

The problem was that he couldn't seem to control it very well. All it took was an emotional trigger for memories to come rushing back. In this case, recalling when he was attacked by a Grimm eight years ago while surfing as a hurricane was rolling in. Only a miracle saved him, getting rescued by a passing huntsman. Teams of the Grimm slayers had taken up patrolling the outskirts of the city for the exact purpose of making sure that the Grimm wouldn't get too close during the storm, although it was his own foolhardiness that made their jobs harder. That also had something to do with his choice to come here.

"You-you can't control your semblance?" The wolf girl enquired, her silver ears twitching.

"Sometimes, not exactly proud of it. I know it's probably a real rookie error, and seeing as I never attended a combat school, I'm probably far behind you and everyone else." He laughed sheepishly, feeling his tanned cheeks twinge with embarrassment. His conversational partner's ears drooped slightly, realizing he was a true to core rookie.

"I-I see. Well I'm sure you'll catch on quick!" She stuttered, backing away and heading for the exit.

"Wait, what's your name?" Leif called out without realizing it. Force of habit, always trying to meet new people. Despite the awkward conversation that just took place, the Faunus girl actually stopped half way through the exit. Her pale face looked back at him.

"Luna, Luna Okirikiri."

"Name's Leif Circinus, it's nice to meet you…" His voice trailed off as girl just nodded and quickly headed out. As he got up and followed the distant voices, the nervousness he felt earlier returned. It was a feeling that he just didn't quite belong here at Beacon. While reason number two for choosing to attend here was his semblance, reason number one was far less…noble. Mainly because it had less to do with wanting to be a huntsman and more to do with getting his parents off his back about career plans.

Even after his injury, being a huntsman was never something that Leif saw as a serious life goal. Sure, he learned how to fight, training himself with his late grandfather's old sword, but that was because he wanted to be able to defend himself from any future Grimm attacks. However, as time passed by, his parents wanted him to figure out a career path, nagging him more and more until he picked huntsman out of frustration due to both his parents and his semi-controllable semblance.

' _Seemed like a brilliant idea at the time anyways_ ' Leif mused as entered the crowded ballroom turned sleeping quarters. Murmurs echoed throughout the huge room as other first years got settled in. Not a single face was familiar to him. Not that this was unwelcome, as Leif always loved to meet new people. Growing up on the coast in Vale's upper class district, his time was often spent out on the beach, surfing and enjoying the ocean with others. When he wasn't there, it was at the docks helping his fisherman father, listening to stories from sailors who came from far and wide. For a time, even at home there were stories to be heard, right from the mouth of his grandfather, a retired cartographer for the Kingdom of Vale. Stories were what kept Leif up at night, often gazing at the lights above trying to picture life elsewhere.

He ducked out into a nearby hallway with a change of clothes after placing his pack down. While the hoodie and sweatpants were great for traveling, he was already working up a sweat indoors. Board shorts and a t-shirt were the way to go now. This also gave him time to make a quick call in private, although he had his concerns as he pulled out his scroll.

' _Please don't freak out, please don't freak out, please don't-_ '

"Leif! How are you, son?" A booming voice leapt from his scroll's speakers, causing him to wince. Somehow his dad managed to find a way to project his voice even through the phone.

"I'm fine Dad, would you mind not shouting?"

"Sorry son, just happy that you called is all, hang on let me get your mother."

' _I only left this morning_ ' Leif shook his head humorously. Being an only child tended to cause his parents to dote on him quite a bit. Whereas his cousins all had a sibling or two, he was all his parents had. The speaker crackled back to life, this time with a familiar female voice.

"Sweetie, it's so good to hear from you! Have you settled in yet? Make any new friends? When are you going to be home next?"

"Mom, I just got here today, we don't even get properly settled in until tomorrow."

"Oh sorry dear, just want to make sure my baby is doing all right on his own."

"Honey, you're smothering again!" His dad warned jokingly in the background. Leif didn't blame them for not knowing how all this worked, no one in his family had ever been a huntsman or huntress before. While his grandfather had known how to fight, he only learned in a self-defense capacity for his job exploring the waters around Sanus for the Vale Council. Both sides of his family had spent generations working on the waters, either as fisherman on his dad's side, or shipping merchants on his mother's.

"I'm fine mom, I promise. Just wanted to let you both know I got here safe and sound."

"Well that's good, and don't forget sweetie, we're both very very proud of you. You'll do great at anything you set your mind to. We love you!" His cheeks flushed red at his mother's praise.

"Thanks, I love you too. I'll call you after class tomorrow, promise. I mean provided I don't die from the classwork."

"Leif! Don't you dare-"

"Sounds good son, good luck!" His dad laughed loudly over his wife's worried outcry, hanging up. A sigh of relief came out with Leif thanking silently for his dad's forethought to end the call before his mother could start another motherly lecture. He couldn't help but love them for all their support though; they were his parents after all.

Glancing at the clock on his scroll, he knew it was time to get back. No matter what challenges awaited him, this was the path he chosen for himself. Attending Beacon may not have been a long time childhood dream that he could tell many around him had, but it was his current goal, one that would make his parents proud.

He reached for the door handle leading into the ballroom, knowing he had to stay quiet now, lest he wake any of his fellow initiates. At least, he would have tried to open the door quietly had it not sprung open from someone on the inside. Leif jumped backwards in surprise as the wolf girl on the other side did the same. Recognition, even in this low light, kicked in seconds later; same vest, leggings, scarf, and ears. It was the Faunus from earlier, Luna.

Her yellow eyes blinked in shock before looking away and moving his past him without a word. Leif opened his mouth to call out to her, but was reminded by a loud snore that people were sleeping now. While tempted to follow her, he decided against it, not wanting another awkward conversation like earlier. Would make for bad second impression.

As he pulled the door shut but stopped just short of shutting it when he noticed the handle was locked. Not entirely sure when Luna was getting back, he decided to crash by the door, in case it shut while she was out doing whatever it was a Faunus did at this hour. A knock should wake him up if it came down to it. Leif laid down, resting his head on his pack and let his eyes flutter shut.

Tomorrow would be a whole new day. A whole new chapter in his life.


	5. Set on a Path

**Roof of Beacon Academy, Vale**

Her urge to howl at the full moon was only kept in check by her embarrassment at having the urge in the first place. Carefully climbing up the wall mounts on the side of the building, Luna Okirikiri willed herself to stay focused, breathing in and out in rhythm with her own heartbeat. Much like any other Faunus, she found herself in love with the natural world around her. She particularly loved it at night when the stars and moon were bright, their lights illuminating her pale white skin and the nighttime world around her. Her cheeks flushed crimson as she felt her white ears twitching, showing her inner happiness.

' _Breath in, breath out_ ' she reminded herself ' _Focus on maintaining the cycle_ '. Tonight was the last chance she was giving herself to get it right. If she succeeded, she would drop out of Beacon and return home to Mistral. Return home to her dad and the rest of the settlement of Moon Hill. If she failed, then Beacon Academy would be her new home.

Deep down, Luna honestly couldn't tell which one she wanted more.

' _Alright and open_ ' her yellow eyes opened, the campus filling her vision. The lupine Faunus looked up at the moon, praying for a different outcome than the past hundreds of times she had looked up at its faint glow. There it lay above her, looking full and normal as ever. A smile broke across her face as her ears twitched with glee, she finally did it! While she always loved the lights beaming down from the sky above at night, Luna had never actually seen the moon normally before, just its soft faint glow as it always- a crack formed in the center of the orb.

Then the moon shattered.

Luna felt a cry catch in her throat. Her eyes were filled with the sight of the shattering pieces of the moon reforming themselves, revealing her own small face looking back down at her, before shattering again. This cycle continued over and over, the reflection of her face never changing, not even to mirror the sad tearful expression that had taken root in reality. She finally snapped her head down, feeling the drain on her aura cease as her semblance went dormant.

Nothing had changed since her birth, her semblance was as uncontrollable as ever. She could be walking by a kitchen and see the face of the cook's assistant reflected back in a pan, sneering in the reflection, while in reality he was smiling away like an innocent fool. The nice human girl who wore glasses in her history class would be chattering happily with her, only for Luna's semblance to kick in to show that girl's reflection in the glasses, with a horrified look of disgust on her face. While only she could see these reflections when her semblance activated on it's own, it never failed to horrify her. To see these inner reflections of a person's soul was an unholy nightmare. Yet Luna had to hide it all, kept it hidden away under a visage of happiness and delight. Not because she had to, but because whenever she didn't, that's when the questions would start. What was wrong? What did she see? How could they help?

' _Maybe she could have helped if she was here_ _…_ ' Luna thought regretfully as her mother she never knew came to mind. Shortly after her birth, Luna's mother ventured out to collect moon lily petals for an upcoming festival. She never came back. Two days later at the cost of two huntsmen and her father's right ear, a pack of beowolves laid dead in their lair nearby. That didn't bring back her mother though, or her father's genuine smile.

Knowing his smile was fake was how was how Luna knew what her semblance did. When she was seven, her father was going through old photos with her, showing her parents when they were just young adults. He was smiling and laughing while he spoke, but all his daughter could see was a face full of tears and sadness in the laminate reflections of the photo album. Almost ten years later, despite constant training and self-reflection, there had been no improvement to her control. She wiped the tears from her eyes as she stood, not sure why she felt more downtrodden than usual. After all, a part of her had expected this outcome. Thoughts of her mother likely had a lot to do with it.

' _This is probably why Dad suggested Beacon,_ ' Luna reasoned as she started back down from the roof. Like the other aspiring huntsmen and huntresses in Yorugao, she was set to attend Haven Academy this upcoming school year. While her father had been a graduate of Haven, her mother grew up in Vale and was trained at Beacon, with the two meeting at a Vytal Festival that had been hosted in Mistral. Falling in love with her dad and the land he lived in, her mother moved here after completing her training. However, her dad said that even after living here for twenty years, she never stopped considering Vale and Beacon to be her home.

" _Now it's my home too_ " she concluded as she reached the ground. The grounds were quiet; it was almost midnight after all. Slipping back inside, she crept down the darkened hallways on her way back to the ballroom. Luckily the door barely creaked as it opened, although when she closed it she heard a click as it locked. These doors were intended to be locked yet only chance had kept her from being left outside. That's when a lightly snoring figure near the door caught her eye.

' _That's the guy from earlier_ ' Luna realized. He had run into her as she had snuck out, but didn't say a word. Did he keep the door slightly open for her? He was sleeping pretty close to door away from others too. All for a stranger…no that was just wishful thinking. He didn't even know her, didn't even know what she could see.

' _But he also can't control his semblance…like me_ ' Maybe Leif would be a good partner to have, if it worked out that way. She had never imagined finding someone who was like her. Luna smiled slightly, feeling oddly hopeful.

Maybe Beacon was the place for her after all.


	6. Two Sides of Socializing

**Locker Room, Beacon Academy**

Despite a great night's rest, Leif's nerves were now almost jumping out his skin; he could barely keep down the pancakes from breakfast. Apparently while he was dealing with his semblance yesterday, it had been announced that there was actually another test, an initiation they all had to go through. He thought the hard part was over when he got accepted to the school weeks ago, but it looks like he wasn't quite in just yet. He glanced around while heading for his locker, passing by various other first years getting equipped. If anyone else seemed nervous, they didn't show it. Well maybe except for a blonde haired boy who was stumbling around looking completely lost. He was quickly forgotten as Leif's jaw dropped at spotted someone far more impressive. Speaking with a white haired pompous looking girl, was a highly recognizable individual.

' _Pyrrha Nikos is attending Beacon?_ ' Leif had seen some her fights in the Mistral Regional Tournament on TV with his classmates after school. Fight was actually a bit of an overstatement, seeing as she wiped the floor with her opponents without much trouble. Walks in the park would be a more accurate description. Seeing her only made his nerves worsen. Pyrrha would set an exceptionally high bar for first year students.

' _No point in getting too worked up over it, she's a prodigy, not a normal student'_  he accepted reluctantly. He just had to go out there and give whatever the task was one hundred percent. Although he really didn't want to go home and suffer another round of questioning about career paths

Arriving at his locker, Leif felt a small relief seeing his sheathed sword tucked safely inside. All weapons had been collected this morning as the students arrived at breakfast to be checked by the faculty, as well as coded to a locker assigned to each first year. This was a fairly self-explanatory process, although Leif recalled one tall dark skinned student who had been very averse to the poor teacher trying to collect his staff. While thinking the guy was being silly at the time, for some reason, having his weapon back seemed to bring him some small comfort. Taking the coral scabbard from the locker, Leif pulled his grandfather's old blade from its resting place. While his grandfather was no huntsman, his occupation of a cartographer brought him to a variety of dangerous lands.  _Horizon's Light_ made sure he made it back each time.

Leif examined the orange blade. While old, it still retained a sheen polish, reflecting the lights above him. Turning from the locker, he held it in his right hand in a fighting stance. Just a quick test run to make sure it was still working. Clicking the toggle located where the blade met the hilt, he flicked his wrist up, watching the blade swing back towards his arm. This used to terrify him when he was younger, always thinking it would cut right into his arm. Yet just like every time he did it before, the blade stopped just short of contacting his skin, and split in apart down the edge, covering his forearm with the two metal halves.

' _Still transforms smoothly_ ' Leif noted happily. The gun barrel on the now exposed top of the hilt looked good as well. Magazine chamber at the bottom of the hilt was clean as well, unloaded at the moment, with the hundred round ammo clips hanging in the locker still, waiting to be clipped onto his belt. Hundred rounds may have been a lot, but given how small the bullets were, he knew he needed every round in the clip to be effective against a target. Even then, the sharp blade, not the gun, would be his main way to finish off his enemy, a lesson he had learned over the past few years of self-training.

Leif flicked his wrist forward, snapping the blade back together over the blue hilt. The fact he was self-taught was the real source of his nerves. He had never been in a real fight before, not with Grimm or people, just practiced alone, hitting inanimate targets, making up combos as he swung. He likely would have gotten that experience at Signal Academy over on Patch, but his parents weren't particularly rich, so a regular run of the mill school was the norm for him. His stellar grades there plus being in great physical condition from living an active lifestyle helped make up for the lack of formal training when applying to Beacon. However, he wasn't quite sure what the baseline was for acceptance; while he felt pretty confident that he was at least a bit better than minimal, it wouldn't have shocked him if he found out he was near the bottom of the barrel.

A pitiful scream and a whoosh sounded behind Leif, drawing his attention. Pinned up against the wall by a spear was that blonde haired male, looking a bit dazed by the short flight he just experienced. The spear that held him there Leif recognized instantly; it was Pyrrha's, thrown with enough precision that it didn't injure the guy in the slightest, just sent him flying. Pure skill.

He ripped his gaze away from the sight. He wasn't doing his nerves any good comparing himself to Pyrrha. Hopefully the instructors here acknowledge the skill gap between 'The Invincible Girl' and normal people, keeping their expectations fair. Besides, everyone else was probably more novice level like him. Just had to stay positive. Grabbing his ammo clips and strapping them around his board shorts' waistband, Leif adjusted the scabbard's position at his side.

"Would all first-year students please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation? Again, all first-year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately" Glynda Goodwitch's voice announced through the intercom. Leif closed his locker and took a few deep breaths before heading for the exit.

' _No sense in delaying this any long-'_  His thought was cut short by the end of a staff appearing inches from his face as rounded the corner. A frantically beating heart as least told him he was still alive. Following the staff back to its owner, Leif saw a very annoyed face looking down at him.

"Heh heh, that-that was close," Leif stuttered weakly, "Warming up for the test?" The staff was withdrawn from his face, before being twirled around in brilliant patterns. Despite the black pole being almost as tall as its owner, it never once made contact with his own body or the surrounding room. It was quite an impressive if not also terrifying given the skillful control he had. So much for Pyrrha being an outlier, not that Leif had much basis to assume that. As the staff came to a rest, sliding through cloth loops on to the back of the boy's sash, Leif saw the teen glance at him again, looking a bit surprised that he was still there.

"Not anymore," He answered concisely before moving past him, almost bumping into him had he not moved. Realizing he was one of the only ones left in the locker room, Leif quickly went after him outside.

"So you think the test will be easy?" He asked the guy as they exited the building into the courtyard. Again, almost a minute passed before the dark skinned first year seemed to notice he was being questioned again. And once again, he seemed annoyed.

"For someone skilled yes, but for someone who passes out from an old man talking, it will likely kill you," he smirked. Leif had no words to say at that, coming to a dead stop as the other guy kept going. * _aura draining, not now, why now, arhhhhhh*_ Leif scrunched his eyes shut and shook his head furiously as his semblance made him relive a few seconds from yesterday. Embarrassment and frustration rushed through him. So someone other than the wolf girl had noticed his state towards the end of Professor Ozpin's speech. Great.

"Well, well, it was hot in there! Heat exhaustion is a real thing you know!" Leif shouted halfheartedly, not that he expected a response.

"Yeah, I sure showed him," he mumbled to no one in particular as he resumed his walk to the cliffs.

* * *

**Path to Beacon Cliffs**

As cool breeze continued blowing across the Beacon grounds, Mura was fuming. The weather wasn't the issue, while it was certainly a bit chillier compared to yesterday, she actually dressed appropriately, no woolen or workout clothes. No, was frustrating her was how hard it was to walk while taking tiny steps. That Schnee girl was not a fast walker and on top of that, she had shorter legs than Mura. More of the first years kept passing her though, getting her odd looks as to why she was walking so slowly. At least it was just her she had to avoid, thanks to some subtle poking around last night before everyone went to sleep. She was pretty confident that no one else here was from Atlas, and even if someone else was, Mura doubted they had the connections and influence like a Schnee would. She just needed to pass her already, and hope that she didn't get a good look at her. Heck, she was probably panicking for nothing, this Atlas girl might not even care to look at her clearly.

' _Better find someone to talk to_ ' Mura reasoned, looking around. Many were already talking with others, making her feel too weird to just jump in with. A really young looking red head was in a frantic conversation with an older blonde. A hyper ginger was having a one sided chat with a quiet teen. Just beyond them though, she spotted a solo walker, a lupine Faunus off by herself, a bow and quiver slung over her shoulder.

' _Bingo_ ' she smiled as she slipped sideways through the group. The girl was looking around, not really at the people near her, but more the environment around her. It would be quite a coincidence if she turned out to be from a different kingdom too.

"Beautiful day for a possibly life threatening test, huh?" Mura asked, sidling up to the startled girl. Her quiver nearly slid off her shoulder as she jumped, but she caught it before regaining composure.

"Ye-yes it is," the girl smiled, faint red in her cheeks "Do you know what the test will be by any chance?"

"Not a clue. Didn't even realize there would be one given on site to get into Beacon. I'm Murasaki by the way, last name Zenith." Out of the corner of Mura's eye, she noticed they were about to pass the Schnee girl, so she reached out to shake hands with her far side, turning her face away from possible Atlesian eyes. The wolf girl looked a bit hesitant, then shook it.

"Luna Okirikiri, it's nice to meet you Murasaki."

"Just call me Mura, it's easier, trust me." She laughed. It came out a lot louder than she intended, partly from the relief of just passing by Schnee girl successfully. Although she couldn't just keep hiding from her forever, that was future Mura's problem.

"Think we have to fight anything?"

"Well considering we have weapons and are at a school focused on an occupation involving fighting…" Mura said matter-of-factly.

"Good point," Luna quietly agreed, blushing again, looking down. This girl wasn't very outgoing Mura noticed. Although she had only started this conversation as a way to blend in, Luna was a huge step up over her conversation from the day before with that Umbra guy. Since then, Murasaki had just a little small talk with others, not really knowing anyone since she wasn't from Vale. It was comforting feeling though, speaking with someone normally again.

"Speaking of, that bow looks pretty deadly, does it umm do anything else though?"

"Not really…I mean the ends are sharpened for close range, if it ever comes to that. Would rather it not though…"

"Well hey, maybe you'll be on a team with some close range fighters, they'll keep the baddies off your back!"

"Hopefully yeah," Luna agreed with a smile. Her wolf ears seemed to twitch happily, or what Mura assumed was happiness. There weren't many Faunus back in Stillfalls.

"Those shields look pretty cool, edges look sharp too. They look at bit thick though," the Faunus commented, pointing towards the rims of the twin shields Mura was carrying in each hand. Both were of about standard size as far as shields went, but Luna seemed to notice the key difference right away. It's always the quiet ones who were the most observant.

"Yep, that's a secret though, you'll just have to wait and see," Mura winked at her. "It'll be much more fun to demonstrate too, rather than just bore you with some explanation" Glancing ahead, her eyes caught sight a familiar looking staff poking out above the crowd, strapped to the back of a familiar dark skinned teen. Him again.

"Hey, I'll talk to you later, there is someone I need to go talk with," Mura excused herself before jogging forward.

"Nice meeting you too!" The soft voice was barely heard as Murasaki moved to catch up to one who eluded her the day before. If Umbra thought he would just use her and be done with her, she was more than ready to prove just how wrong he was.


	7. Calm before the Spring

**Cliffs near Emerald Forest**

Continuing with the trend of being out of his element, Umbra was in shock at the large lush forest in front of him. It didn't seem to have an end, just miles upon miles of green, a huge change from the arid desert landscape back home. None of the other first years who were slowly arriving with him on the cliff seemed as amazed as him, however. As his face warmed slightly from embarrassment, he heard a snicker to his right.

"Guessing they didn't have forests like this back home huh?" That purple haired girl from yesterday was beside him. Two shocks for him now and it wasn't even midmorning. While tempted to ignore her, Umbra figured that she wouldn't just leave him alone even if he did.

"No, they didn't."

"Soooo what did they have then?"

"Not this."

"Descriptive." She seemed annoyed again like yesterday; Umbra could hear her voice become taut.

"Umbra, right?" Evidently not annoyed enough to stop talking to him though.

"Yes."

"…do you even remember my name?"

"Murasaki Zenith."

"My, aren't we formal," Murasaki laughed. "You can just call me Mura, it's easier-"

"I have no difficulty in saying your name."

"Jeez everyone so serious where you're from?"

"Yes," he answered, now finding himself annoyed. "Is everyone so questioning where you're from?"

"Nope, just me, but glad you have some wit," she smirked. Umbra finally looked to his left, actually looking at her this time. No one in the Skugga acted like her, at least not openly. Her outfit didn't look very efficient, rather than like his handmade black cloth robes. An unzipped black leather jacket was worn over light purple t-shirt, both looking more like aesthetic looking choices rather than practical design. Her long pants had camo pattern markings on them, similar to the kind he saw on dead Vacuo soldiers, yet with dark purple and black color scheme rather than one that matched the desert landscape. Much like the environment he was in, he had never quite encountered someone like her. It was…unsettling.

What really drew his attention though were the matching shields she had on each arm. Appearing to be standard size, no bigger than a buckler, the edges looked sharpened enough to cut into skin. Yet despite its plain appearance, there seemed to be something missing, or at least something Umbra couldn't see outright.

"My eyes are up here big guy," Murasaki teased again, "unless you see something you like."

"Your shields are your only weapon?"

"Perhaps...is that staff your only one?"

"Yes-"

"So help me god, if you say a one-word answer again, I'm going to smack you."

"Uh-umm yes, it is my only weapon," Umbra stammered. She had threatened him. Normally he would just punch her, but he had enough common sense to know that wouldn't go over to well. However, down in the forest where no one could see…his jaw dropped. She was laughing again.

"Well that was certainly more than one word."

Umbra already missed when the massive forest was the only thing that unsettled him.

* * *

The wind blew through Luna's silver hair as she gazed out over the forest. Did the sight amaze her mother as well? Despite the importance of the day, the weather felt like it was urging everyone to relax, take a personal day. She could actually feel her heart slowing down as she basked in the perfect conditions.

' _Feel yourself in the world around you and you'll never lose yourself_ ' She repeated her father's mantra silently. Ever since her semblance manifested itself uncontrollably, he had trained her in both physical and mental techniques. His hope was that, with skills like those he and her mother had learned at combat schools, Luna would be able to gain control of her power. While Luna became quite proficient at the various aspects of being a huntress, her control over her semblance had only improved slightly over the past decade.

Moments like these, calming herself by enjoying the natural world around her, helped her from losing hope completely. That, and avoiding looking at any kind of reflective surface near people as well as directly at the ominous moon.

"Oii that's a long way down," an anxious voice commented to her left. Glancing over, she saw another reason to have hope. Looking curiously over the edge of the cliff was Leif, the boy who confessed his own semblance issues to her yesterday. The one who made Luna realize she wasn't alone.

"You don't think they expect us to just jump down there right? Gotta be a transport or ladder, heck even a rope would be nice," he continued, scratching his head before stepping back onto the stone plate that aligned the cliff. The last of the first years were lining up on the other squares now, awaiting further instruction.

"Luna, thoughts?" She was taken aback, not realizing he was actually speaking to her. He even remembered her name.

"Umm well I assume they will tell us," she said motioning down the row to her right, where Professors Ozpin and Goodwitch were standing. Leif leaned out of line and squinted, before nodding in acknowledgment.

"Huh, yeah you're right," he laughed with a smile. If he had any thoughts on seeing her sneak out last night, he didn't say it. Did he really make sure the door stayed open or was she just imagining it? It was bugging the crap out of her now.

"Hey Leif-," she started to ask when a hush fellow over the rest of the students. Ozpin had started to speak.

"For years, you have trained to become warriors, and today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."

"Getting creative with names now aren't they," Leif whispered, forcing Luna to stifle her laughter. Moments ago he was looking nervously over the edge of a cliff. Now he was cracking jokes. This guy was something else.

"Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of teams. Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates... today," Professor Goodwitch added. Luna knew huntsmen and huntresses were split into teams of four, although the process was never really explained to her. Not that she hadn't asked, it was just her dad went to Haven, so he didn't have a clue about the way things were handled at Beacon. As for her mom, who had actually gone to Beacon… she wasn't around to ask.

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon. So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well. That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years," Professor Ozpin stated flatly. Luna's jaw dropped. Teams were one thing, but a partner? Her semblance would make any partner despise her very existence. She didn't even know anyone here, not for real anyways.

"Huh…well the whole 'not attending a proper combat school' is about to bite me in butt now," groaned Leif.

"Wait, what?"

"Yeah, I don't know anyone here," Leif laughed sheepishly, "Well except for you now. And also a really pretentious douche I ran into on the way up here." She looked up at him surprised. He looked like he grew up in Vale, how did he not know anyone other than who he met today? Can't control his semblance, didn't know anyone except her, and seemed to have an unflappable air of confidence despite himself; Leif was seeming like the perfect partner right about now.

"After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path... or you will die."

"Great, and now the threat of death. I'm sure my lack of actual combat experience will come in handy," her partner candidate sarcastically muttered.

"I haven't fought much either actually," Luna quietly mentioned, her rustling ears showing her embarrassment. She had killed a few Grimm before, but her dad was always hovering nearby just in case.

"You at least look the part of a huntress," Leif chuckled, "I'm sure your training was a lot better than mine."

"You will be monitored and graded through the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. We will regard that item, as well as your standing, and we will grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?" Ozpin asked after outlining their mission.

"Yeah, um, sir?" The blonde boy closest towards to Ozpin started.

"Good! Now, take your positions!" The old man concluded as though he didn't hear him.

"Wait!" Leif spoke up as well "You didn't say how-" His question was interrupted by two loud springs as two students catapulted into the air on their left and right. The stone plates they stood on were actually launch pads.

"Oh."

"Looks like we figure out our own ways to land," Luna pointed out as the next two students launched.

"Yeah okay, hey when you find my squished crumpled corpse, mind sending my sword back to my parents? Grandpa will kill me when I see him in the afterlife if it was lost." Two more students vanished, a spiky mohawk male to her right and a dark skinned giant to her left.

"I'm sure you'll be fine."

"Yeah, uh huh. How do you plan on getting down exactly?"

"Well, I have some rope in my quiver that I can tie to my arrows. I'll just hit a tree and swing down."

"Rope, huh? Hey you got a spare one I can-" Luna suddenly was staring at nothing as Leif vanished into the air. Neither had realized how many students had already launched on either side of them. Bracing herself for her turn, Luna saw tried to make out Leif amongst the flying dots. Hopefully he would be fine; she needed a living partner after all.

Then she felt the air whooshing around her as she felt the ground beneath her feet vanish.


	8. Fall-Landing

**Above the Emerald Forest, Vale**

The sea of green flying underneath him would have been mesmerizing if not for the knowledge that it would be his grave unless he thought of something quick. While Leif managed to stop flailing, he already felt gravity having an effect on his speed and elevation. He had been knocked into the air before, but that was from large waves out in the ocean; those flights ended with splashes, not crunches. To his left and right, he noticed the other first years dropping out of the sky as each committed to a landing style. Some seemed subtle, others seemed… explosive.

Case in point: a low flying blonde who seemed to be using explosions from her hands to control her descent. While it was an impressive sight, it gave him no ideas as his sword barely produced any recoil due to the low caliber bullets. Thinking of the gun form did generate the spark of an idea. His shoulder started preemptively aching; Leif already knew this stupid idea was going to hurt.

Steadying his breathes as the wind rushed around him, he reached down, grasping the hilt of the blade without drawing it. The forest began getting closer and closer as he tried to ignore the nervous pounding of his heart. Picking out a large tree in front of him, he started counting backwards as it approached. Timing was key now, only fractions of a second separated a safe landing and a splatter on the ground.

_Three…two…one!_  As he flew under a large branch, Leif drew  _Horizon's Light_ , toggling the blade's transformation as it left the scabbard, lifting it up above his head. Unlike normal cases where he would flick his wrist to move the blade, he let the impact of the branch do the work for him. Just as he hoped, the sharp edge lodged itself in the wood, with him flipping upward as the hilt moved apart from the base of the blade. His shoulder stung with pain as his whole body was yanked backwards to a halt from the sudden brake in speed. His grip on the hilt remained solid though as he twisted his arm along with his body to land safely, albeit in pain, on the branch.

' _Never have I been so glad to be hyper extended in my arms'_  If it wasn't for that weird trait, his arm would have likely snapped instead being able to twist at such an angle. Letting go of the hilt, leaving the blade embedded below him in the branch, Leif stretch his arms out, rubbing his shoulder gingerly. Maybe getting more exercise than just gym class and surfing everyday wasn't such a bad idea.

Leif started looking around, taking care to keep his balance on the narrow branch. Now that he was beneath the forest canopy, he had lost sight of his fellow first years. The wind was also less present, and with the dense wooded foilage around him, any sounds that might have been carried from a distance would be muffled to a whisper and visibility reduced to nearly nothing. That made his first objective, finding a partner, seem more difficult than before. After all, Professor Ozpin said the first person they made eye contact with would be their partner for the next four years.

"Whelp, someone's going to be disappointed when they meet me," Leif chuckled halfheartedly to himself as he reached down to retrieve his blade. He grabbed the hilt and hit the toggle to swing the blade back when a loud crack broke through the forest's stillness. Looking down towards the source of the noise, several small wooden shards leapt into view. Cracks began to form in the branch, radiating outwards from where the blade was lodged. Leif groaned and looked for a place to jump to.

A split second and a resounding thud later, Leif was flat on his back on the ground, the decision made for him as the branch gave way.

"Very disappointed," Leif groaned as he stared into the green forest trees above.

* * *

Landing had been simple enough, as Murasaki's shields allowed her to simply fall straight through the forest canopy, the impacts of crashing through the foliage slowing her descent. Navigating in this dense foliage was now proving to be the hard part. This temple was supposedly in the direction they were sent flying, but she kept finding herself glancing nervously upwards, hoping her path hadn't deviated from the straight line she was set on.

She shook off her doubting thoughts and just focused on the environment she was trekking through. The Emerald Forest was definitely living up to its name with the amount of green that surrounded her. Birds chirped in the air above as branches crunched under her black combat boots below. It was oddly calming despite the supposed dangers that the professors back on the cliff had alluded lurked among the trees.

Also in these woods, somewhere, was her future partner for the next four years. She knew about the whole team thing, but had never given it much thought until now. It would be odd having someone around her all the time who wasn't her micromanaging mother. But anyone would be better than her. She froze in for a second as she processed that thought. Unless it was Umbra; fun as messing with him might be, his overall personality would make the whole partner thing suck about as much as being caught on the pointy end of a Deathstalker.

Mura emerged into a small clearing with the sun shining all the way down to grassy ground. Her brow wrinkled as she glanced around; this seemed way too perfect a set up for a fight to break out. Sure enough, as though she jinxed herself, a low sounding snort was heard from the other end of the clearing. Mura relaxed slightly; her first opponent was a Boarbatusk, nothing too dangerous. She raised her shields on her arms,  _Dusk on_  her left and  _Dawn on_  her right, settling in to a defensive posture. The Grimm would make the first move.

Out the shadows, a rolling dark blur suddenly shot into the sunlight right at her. Despite its speed, Mura braced her right side and rolled the attacking Grimm down into the ground with  _Dawn_. She wasted no time in launching into attack as the Boarbatusk tried to uncurl itself at her feet. Twisting to her right, she brought  _Dusk_ down hard on the Grimm's unarmored belly, letting the sharpened edge cut deep into its body. A loud squeal shrieked from its dying throat as it writhed in pain before laying still. A smile crept across Mura's face; that tactic always worked for her when it came to Boarbatusks. She was glad to see they weren't much different from the ones she had to fight back home during training.

That squeal was troubling though, as it was sure to draw others of its kind to the clearing. She started to move, then came to a dead stop. Because of the fight, she had completely lost track of the straight line she had been moving in. Her hand balled into a shaking fist as she kicked herself in frustration. A very stupid mistake.

"Don't panic, don't panic," she told herself, "just climb a tree and try to get your bearings, simple." Mura glanced up at the foliage around her, then picked a tree to her right that towered above the rest. Scaling it would be a chore, but seeing as using any other method at her disposal would be too explosive, climbing it would have to do. Getting a running start, she jumped towards the trunk, throwing her right arm forward. Her right shield embedded itself in the trunk, dangling her body a few feet off the ground as she swung her left arm up above her right, embedding that shield next. Over the next five minutes she slowly grinded her way up the tree.

The view from the top of the tree was much less impressive than Mura hoped, considering the work she had put into getting up. Yet, it did the trick as she quickly spotted the cliffs they started at and reoriented her sense of direction. She pulled her leather jacket tighter around her as the wind became a noticeable factor again. On this breeze, her ears heard distant explosions and gunfire as no doubt other first years were encountering Grimm like she did. Accompanying these sounds were the guttural squeals of Boarbatusks, something she shouldn't have been able to hear at a long distance.

Unless…they were really close. Like, below her close.

Glancing back down, she saw four Boarbatusks in the clearing now. However, none of them were looking at her; the beasts were much more focused on a familiar looking Faunus who was backed up against the tree Mura was on. It was Luna, her bow out, with an arrow nocked, but unfired. Technically since they hadn't made eye contact yet, Mura recognized that she could just leap to another tree and clamber down, move on and see if she found anyone else. Yet, as far as possible partners went, Luna didn't seem all that bad. Sure, she was shy and quiet, but compared to Umbra who was out there somewhere, Luna seemed like a talkative bundle of joy.

She stretched out her arms, with the front of shields facing the sky. That settled it. With a quick shove off from the treetop, she started free falling towards the ground. Her fingers clicked in the pressure triggers on the back of shield, sliding the silver bands across the middle down, exposing five mini cannons on each shield.

A second click triggered the explosion of dust that sent her flying towards the enemies threatening her soon to be partner.


	9. Dangers of the Forest

**Emerald Forest, Vale**

With a deafening blast that left her ears ringing, two of the Boarbatusks in front her vanished into a cloud of dirt. The other two leapt backwards in surprise as their numbers were cut in half out of nowhere, revealing two very dead Grimm and one very alive girl on one knee. The top of the shields on each of her arms were buried in the backs of both Grimm, wisps of smoke trailing from the barrels on the shields' face. Luna didn't have time to process what just occurred as the two remaining monsters squealed loudly before charging at the newcomer.

She quickly pulled back the bowstring and let loose the arrow she had nocked. Before even waiting for it to hit, a second arrow had already taken its place on the bow. It didn't stay there for long before she let it fly at the other target. Both arrows hit within seconds of each other, striking just below the Grimm's armored back, where a normal boar's heart would be. The two injured Grimm flew back a few yards, wailing in pain, yet still trying to rise to their feet. Luna's eyes narrowed as she focused her aura on the vials of Dust tied to her quiver. From one vial flowed yellow dust that floated into a messy cloud around her bow; her mind then shaped this cloud into a solid arrow of the same color, letting it settle into place on the drawstring of  _Akti Selinis_. She then took aim, not either of the wounded creatures however, but the space in between them.

Just as the arrow reached that space, Luna released her aura's hold on the projectile, detonating the arrow into a ball of lightening Dust. Both Boarbatusks were unable to escape the rapid discharge of energy, leaving only black ashes as they were disintegrated. The wolf girl let out a long breath, relieved to have survived her first fight without close adult supervision. While Luna had some firsthand experience at fighting Grimm, her dad was always hovering nearby to make sure she stayed safe. A long low key whistle made her jump. She had somehow forgotten Murasaki had crashed down in front her.

"That's some trick there," Mura said, her voice sounding genuinely amazed as she brushed off the dirt from her shields, "Never seen anyone who could manipulate Dust freely before."

"T-Thanks," Luna replied shyly, not used to people other than her father praising her. "That thing you did with the shields was pretty cool too."

"Aw thanks, now you see why I said it would be easier to show you rather than explain it," the violet hair girl laughed, causing Luna to even let out a small giggle. As their adrenaline died down, so did the laughter until both girls were just looking each other straight in the eyes.

"So…guess we're partners now, huh?" Mura said, cocking one thin eyebrow.

"Uh-um ye-ah, guess we are," Luna weakly answered. She couldn't tell if Mura was pleased or disappointed about this. Although given that her semblance could reveal who Murasaki really was on the inside, Luna was just happy that there was nothing reflective to trigger it nearby. No matter what Mura's reaction was, she would prefer to be ignorant of the truth.

Another thirty seconds passed in silence, each girl contemplating their partner, before Mura just nodded, smiling.

"Well seeing as neither of us have abruptly turned around and rejected the other, I'd say we're off to a great start. Shall we proceed to this mystical old temple then?" she said, pointing north with an overly dramatic wave of her arm, causing Luna crack a small smile and nod. She and her new partner headed away from the clearing back into the dense woods, leaving the site of their meeting behind them. Luna's sensitive ears heard faint sounds of gunshots beneath the louder sounds of the natural world around them. This place had so much wonder, yet so much danger; it was truly a shame.

' _I hope Leif didn't run into any trouble_ ' She hoped he hadn't been counting on her to find him. With Murasaki as her partner, Leif would have to be with someone different. Disappointment tingled in her mind; it would have been nice to be partners considering they were both lacked control over their semblances. Mura didn't seem bad though, maybe she would be understanding of her issues in time… if Luna actually decided to tell her about them. The last thing she needed is to give Mura reasons to hate her.

She pushed all these thoughts from her mind, trying to refocus on her partner and the task at hand. Wherever Leif was, he would just have to do his best to-she froze. Faintly, the sounds of underbrush crunching underfoot, getting louder and louder with each passing heartbeat, reached her ears. Someone was coming. Correction; a group was coming. Coming rather quickly. Mura continued to take a few steps before realizing the Faunus teen had come to a halt.

"Everything okay?" she asked, her arms shifting into a cautious stance.

"Not sure, I can't tell what exactly-" a loud crash of leaves and branches burst into the air to their right as blue haired male tore through the woods a bit of a ways away.

"Seriously, who the heck ticks off a pack of Beowolves and DOESN'T KILL THEM?" shouted the male to no one in particular, his voice recognizable to Luna. Multiple howls were heard from the same direction as the aforementioned Grimm gave chase. So much for Leif staying out of trouble. Her pulse quickened fearfully; Leif had said he never went to combat school, meaning he likely had never been in a real fight before either. Her hand reached back to her quiver then halted as Leif suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. Sword in hand, he suddenly turned to face the four Grimm giving chase.

"This will be interesting," Mura observed, seeming content to not intervene. She clearly had never interacted with the guy, otherwise she would have known about his inexperience. Luna was about to inform her partner when something caught her eye. Leif was smiling, practically laughing with his green eyes. The four Beowolves even seemed to notice as they stopped just out of striking distance away from the boy. They all bared their teeth, growling, yet amazingly didn't make a move.

"You really want to take that chance?" Leif loudly challenged, pointing the orange blade at them "Might not end well for you mate." The lead Beowolf snarled but still held back.

"Is he actually trying to bluff a Grimm?" her partner asked, stunned. Luna couldn't even answer as she was equally shocked. This disbelief only increased as the pack of Grimm started backing away, growling the entire way before finally turning about and fleeing into the woods.

"I…I literally can't believe what I just saw. That had to be the ballsiest thing I've ever seen, hands down." Mura exclaimed. Still no words from her own mouth; Luna was still too stunned. Not just from what she just saw, but from the fact that Leif seemed to just collapse, laughing crazily on the forest floor. The surprises weren't over though.

"Man, am I glad I ran into you two!" the collapsed teen called out, "Otherwise those Grimm would have never stopped chasing me." Luna's jaw dropped. He knew they were there the whole time. She started moving towards her fellow first year, Mura following close behind.

"Saw you both out of the corner of my eye while running," explained Leif as they got closer to his collapsed body, "Figured if I saw you, the Beowolves did too."

"And what, you assumed we would help you?" questioned Mura.

"I mean I would hope so, but that's not what I was counting on. My money was placed on the Grimm thinking you would have attacked them if they attacked me."

"Huh? Why would you think that?" Her partner continued to question.

"Oh, something I heard from a sailor once," he answered nonchalantly. Nearly ten seconds passed in silent disbelief before Luna regained her composure.

"A-a sailor?" she repeated.

"Yeah, he said they almost got sunk by a swarm of Grimm out at sea, but were saved by the chance passing of an Atlesian airship." Leif began to explain, leaning forward off the ground. "Airship didn't fire a shot, but the sight of it was enough to make the Grimm rethink their survival chances."

"But these aren't evil fish, these were Beowolves."

"They're still Grimm, right? Figured it was worth a shot."

"You bet your life on some story you heard?" sputtered Mura "What if it didn't work?"

"Ah well ummmm…was kind of betting on you two intervening if that happened," he weakly laughed while scratching behind his head. The girls both shared a look of utter disbelief, Luna more so than Mura; this guy with no combat experience had just risked his life based on an idea he got from a semi-relevant tale. She wasn't sure if she was impressed by his courage or shocked by his foolhardiness. If Leif noticed the odd looks as he got up, he didn't say anything, instead just glancing back and forth between the two.

"So, it looks like you two are partners," he commented, observing the obvious. "That's cool, guess I'll just wander the woods some more and hope I make eye contact with something that isn't going to try and kill me."

"Good luck with that," Mura chuckled before turning around to try and figure out which way they were going. Luna turned to but looked back at Leif. His cocky face showed tiny cracks, which underneath lay someone who looked pained to be alone again. It looked all too familiar for her.

"You could travel with us until you find someone if you want." The offer was out of her mouth before she really realized what she just said. To her relief, he perked up at this idea, the cracks in his façade sealing up.

"But you have to figure out which way we're supposed to go. That's the deal," Mura called out, sounding annoyed as she looked around for some sort of directional indicator.

"Ah that I can do. See that moss over here? Based on that, north is that way," Leif pointed confidently with his blade before sheathing it. Luna glanced at Mura, who just shrugged before setting out in the supposedly correct direction. After a silent ten minutes of walking, curiosity got the better of Luna.

"Hey, how did you know north is this way from just looking at moss?"

"Funny you should ask, I heard a fascinating story a few years back from some traveling merchants," Leif started to explain, eliciting a groan from Murasaki but a giggle from Luna. The forest didn't seem quite so intimidating anymore.

* * *

A crackling streak of flames blazing across the clearing. A fallen tree. Footprints of Beowolves in the dirt. A faint smell of Dust lingering in the air. Umbra was all but certain a battle had taken place here, although he couldn't tell what the outcome was. Judging by the somewhat distant howls, he could only assume that it was inconclusive. Otherwise there would have been some sort of evidence that the Grimm had found a meal.

He rose from his position examining the ground, senses alert for any Grimm who might have tried to sneak up on him. Given that the Grimm were now aware that there was prey scampering through the woods, undoubtedly the hordes would be stirring to give chase. The old man was not wrong about the danger; if any of these first years weren't prepared, they wouldn't be making the return trip to the school.

Staff at the ready, Umbra headed back into the thicket of trees northward. Keeping himself oriented was easy despite being a stranger to the terrain; he merely had to keep an eye on the sun's path overhead and the way that the moss was growing on trees in relation to that. Different wilderness, same principles.

Yet Umbra still felt a tingle in his gut. Back in the wilds of Vacuo, he knew every sound, every telltale sign of a possible threat. He hadn't relaxed since landing earlier, his staff never once leaving his hand. The woods muffled most of the noise around him, worsening the discomfort.

That wouldn't be so much of an issue for him if it wasn't for the fact that somewhere in these woods was the person who would be his partner. Not just that, but it would be for four years! Just the thought made Umbra cringe. His first thought was to just avoid everyone and return with a relic solo, avoiding the requirement to find a partner altogether. Despite how enticing that idea was, it directly conflicted with Nox's orders to 'avoid complications' while completing his mission. Umbra scoffed aloud at recalling his mentor's words when he was briefed. How was he to avoid complications if he didn't even know how to complete the quest his tribe had charged him with?

Regardless, a partner and team would just have to be something he accepted. Resisting too much would just cause others to ask too many questions, which could jeopardize his task. Umbra took solace in the fact that at least once his mission was complete he could just leave it all behind him. Suffering through the partnership would just be new motivation to hurry and bring about the fabled 'Lightless Night' was all.

A crashing sound through the thickets of trees interrupted his pondering as he froze. Definitely larger than a Beowolf or Boarbatusk, but not nearly the size of a Death Stalker or King Taijitsu. That narrowed down the culprit considerably, with an Ursa being his guess. Umbra readied himself for a fight. His heart raced. This is what he lived for.

Sure enough, an Ursa crashed through the trees to his left, roaring in Umbra's direction. Not flinching in the slightest, Umbra just turned and stared dead on at the Grimm, eyes narrowing. Adrenaline pumped through his veins, his muscles tightened, his entire body wanting nothing more than to fight. Yet despite all this, he forced himself to take a deep breath. He knew he had to test something important in this new land. He had to know if the Skugga's faith in the so called holy creatures of Grimm held up even far away from home. Focusing his thoughts, letting his will to fight and kill his own kind boil to the surface; his desire to rule through the shadow and dominate those in the light be the most prevalent thing in his mind.

The Ursa roared again, but didn't launch an attack at this seemingly unthreatened foe. It cocked its head slowly to the side, growling quietly. Umbra's grip on his staff tightened. This could still end in a fight. This standoff continued for another minute before the Grimm snarled one final time then backed slowly through the thrush. If back home was any indicator, the Ursa wouldn't stray far, rather it would track him, in hopes of being lead to more prey. He let out a sigh, not one of relief, but of regret. Despite satisfying his curiosity, he would have preferred a fight.

Starting back on his path north, Umbra could hear the gentle crash of footsteps at the edge of his hearing as the Ursa predictably followed him. By no means was he out of danger, despite what some of the delusional tribe elders might say. For the Skugga, who believed that true power lay in the darkness of the shadows, the Grimm were practically living deities. Throughout the tribe's history, they had always worshipped the Grimm, making sacrifices and weakening settlements for the Grimm to slaughter. In return the Skugga were rewarded with all the plunder and resources from the now lifeless settlement and were left in peace by the hordes of Grimm in the wilderness.

Despite being labeled the 'Pride of the Skugga' by the elders since infancy, Umbra like other youth in the tribe, had never completely bought into the fanaticism that was preached to them. While it was certainly true that the nomadic tribe was largely left alone despite traveling through the uncivilized wilderness, he suspected that it was only because Grimm saw the Skugga as a means to an end. Grimm were by no means stupid; they wanted to survive and thrive just as much as any human or Faunus did, so by letting the Skugga live and raid, it weakened their prey. Yet when he and other tribe mates were alone or in small groups, more often than not have they found themselves hunted, attacked by their so called 'deities'.

While this Ursa's behavior seemed to support what his elders had been preaching, Umbra didn't give it much credence. It was more through luck, not faith, that the Skugga remained unmolested by their 'holy creatures', nothing more. When the Skugga stopped proving useful for the Grimm, they would turn and rip the tribe to shreds, just like this Ursa would when it realized Umbra didn't plan on killing anything. Well, killing anything other than the Ursa.

Ten more minutes of silent walking and Umbra finally saw the edge of the tree line. Peering through the branches, he saw stone columns and walls of what he assumed was the temple. Looked like quite a battle was fought earlier but what intrigued him more was voices that could be heard from in the ruins, two girls and a guy. He felt a twinge of annoyance as he recognized two of them, Murasaki Zenith and the weakling blue haired male he had run into twice before. Both were examining the pedestals in the middle while a Faunus girl stood guard.

Given they were supposed to pick relics in pairs according to the old man, Umbra reasoned that Murasaki must have had the poor fate of being the weakling's partner. That left the wolf girl as the solo one. Almost a third shorter than him, she didn't appear all that strong, but compared to either waiting around for another student to show or the other two, he decided to not be choosey. He carefully crept out of trees and slowly approached from the trio's blind spot. Once he was close enough, he would just rush her, making sure to make eye contact with her and only her. Then there would be one less complication to worry about.


	10. Partners

**Temple Ruins, Emerald Forest, Vale**

**Minutes earlier…**

This was not good. Like every single part of this was bad. Why did it have to be a bottomless cliff, of all things? Leif had just finished being proud of himself for managing to actual survive his first fight while on the move too, his fears diminishing with this new confidence. Now the fear was rushing right back. Not fair universe, not fair.

"What now idiot? Run off the cliff since you don't want to fight?" shouted Umbra as he turned to face the incoming Grimm. His partner's face was nothing but anger and frustration, like this was somehow all his fault. Also not fair universe.

"Fighting is the plan right now, so shut up and help me buy us time," Mura snapped at him while moving to put herself between the Grimm and Leif. Umbra snarled back but took up position as well, making himself the obstacle to get through to get to Luna. Explosions and the sounds of melee combat filled Leif's ears as he frantically looked around for some sort of way out. Got to be something, some sort of option, somewhere, something. His chest was pounding now. Too many explosions, too much chaos. Would he actually die here?

*'SMACK'  _stinging pain, Dad's hands on my cheeks, concerned look_ * The memory of his dad smacking him came out of nowhere and vanished just as quick. The only indicator it had happened was the stinging sensation on his face, just like when it had happened year ago. Normally Leif would be annoyed over his semblance activating, but this time it was most welcomed.

His dad had slapped him because the younger Leif had panicked during a massive storm while at sea. The pain had snapped him out of it, the lesson being the moment one lost control of one's self was the moment all sense of direction was gone.

As long as one could direct himself, there was always a way out. Now, Leif just had to find it.

The gap was far too large and the cliffs atop the other side were much too high. The fall would likely kill them. They could not double back with the Ursai blocking the way and pushing even closer. Boarbatusks were closing in on their sides. Boxed in with the tidal wave of Grimm getting closer and closer.

Wave. Somehow that thought managed to turn a few gears in his mind. The best way to escape a wave or rip tide was to swim around it, not through or directly away from it. The Boarbatusks were many but weak; all they had to do was running parallel to the cliff until they found a crossing point. Not the best plan, but Leif didn't hear anyone else chiming in.

"Mura, punch a hole through the Grimm to our left!" The purple haired girl shot him an annoyed glance at being ordered around. Leif groaned inwardly; why now did she choose to have an attitude?

"Mura, please! We can't stay here." Luna pleaded, firing arrow after arrow at the approaching beasts. Umbra slammed his right staff into one's head while whipping the left around to block another one charging. The shield wielder looked to remain stubborn before firing her cannons into the Grimm blocking their leftward path. Squealing echoed into the canyon as the group rushed through the hole.

The running battle had shifted now, with Umbra and Murasaki staying between the Grimm and their partners with Leif and Luna firing in front and behind them. Leif aimed  _Horizon's Light_ and kept up a steady stream of fire to discourage any Grimm for running out in front of their path.

So far so good, they might just make it out of this.

Leif swore to himself to never think optimistically again as the ground shook beneath them, scores of trees vanishing in front of their eyes, forcing them all to come to a dead stop. Staring them dead on was a massive King Taijitu, its tongues hissing out vehemently as both heads glared menacingly at the first years. He felt his face paling into a stark white * _this is-'_ *dark face of a sharzark, inches away*' _WHAT IS THAT-' sharp pain*_ His semblance activated again without warning. The paralyzing fear he felt now was the same as back then. Imminent death.

Unlike earlier with the Ursai, the snake Grimm chose not to wait, the black head launching itself forward at Leif. Its fangs sharp and outstretched, fear immobilized his body.

Game over.

Then the fangs were replaced by the clouded blue sky as a shockwave knocked him on his back. The King Taijitu's black head hissed loudly in pain from the explosion caused by Mura's shields before it reeled backwards from several powerful hits smashing into its skull; the white head hissed in anger but made no immediate retaliation as the situation continued to develop. She landed next to him, not saying a word, instead proceeding to rush the two Ursai baring down on Luna, Ursai she had been forced to leave unchecked to save him.

Luna could have been killed because he froze up.

Murasaki had to leave her own partner because Leif was so weak.

* _'I refuse to be partners with the one who appears to be weakest of all of us'_ * The memory relived itself through his semblance. Umbra was right, he was weak he was- * _I'll swear I'll prove you wrong_ * His mind came to a dead stop when hearing that. That was his own voice. His thoughts in response to Umbra's declaration, shortly before they became partners.

That memory snapped him out of his daze, shaking his mind and body free of the crippling doubt it was beset with. Leif was doing nobody any favors being fear-struck and helpless; he was only proving Umbra right. He would survive this test or die trying.

With the way ahead now cut off, they needed a new exit plan. He thought back to the tidal wave metaphor; going around the wave of Grimm was no longer an option, and going through it was still a no-go. A squeal drew his attention to a Boarbatusk rolling towards him across the dirt. Flicking his wrist forward to reattach the blade, Leif brought it to bare on the rolling Grimm. While in this ball form, he knew they couldn't change directions or stop easily, so with a swing of his sword, the Grimm was knocked away and rolled off into the chasm behind them.

Looking back over the canyon again, Leif saw something that was different from the spot they had run from earlier. A tree growing out of the rock face near the top of the cliff. Still far too high and distant to jump to, but it might just be their ticket to safety.

* * *

They just kept coming. While thankful that Mura was holding off the two Ursai that were closing in on her, she was running out of arrows and Dust to stop the growing numbers of Boarbatusks closing in, not to mention keep Umbra from getting overwhelmed by the King Taijitu who decided to focus on the male after its failed attack on his partner, something he seemed oblivious to. Her mind focused, creating two arrows from the ice Dust contained in her quiver, before firing them both into an Ursa about to strike Umbra's unprotected back, freeing him to block the snake's white head.

"Luna!" Leif suddenly shouted over the din of combat.

"What?" She shouted back trying not to take her eyes off the battle in front of her. Whatever he wanted, she really hoped it was an escape plan.

"You still got that rope?" This time it wasn't a shout, it was practically right in her ear. She nearly jumped back as Leif was suddenly next to her, his arm raised, still firing at the Grimm.

"Uh-uh yeah, why?"

"See that tree?" Leif asked, pointing to towards the cliff top, "Think you can hit it with an arrow?"

"Probably, but how-"

"Perfect, can you get across, tie the rope off to the tree, and then fire the arrow back with the rope attached?"

"The rope won't reach across" Luna pointed out, releasing another arrow into a flanking Grimm.

"Doesn't need to, just needs to be within jumping distance"

"You mean to have everyone swing across?" She asked, stunned.

"Something like that"

"How on Remnant are the remaining people going to hold of the Grimm once people-"

"Future details," he cut in, "Look I really can't think of anything else, so please trust me here?" Luna looked him in the eyes. Desperation and fear clearly were present, but mixed in was the same confidence she saw this morning. Even with all this, it was still there. She nodded.

"Alright then" She drew her rope arrow and aimed across the canyon "Who's swinging first?"

"Again, future details, just be ready!" Leif replied, looking slightly relieved that she was going along with his plan. Without another word, he turned and ran towards their partners, who were slowly being pushed back to the edge of the cliff. If it was anyone else, she would have questioned this plan a dozen times over.

Yet that confidence he had…she couldn't help but want to match it with her own.

* * *

The Ursa roared in defiance one last time before Umbra's staffs put it down for good. Three of the Ursai were dead now, along with scores of Boarbatusks. Even with those kills, Umbra found himself backing up more and more towards the cliff. The snake had more than made up for those losses, as it launched attacks on first him, then Mura to his left. Despite her annoying personality, her fighting skills were certainly admirable. The Faunus girl wasn't too shabby either; several times now Umbra had noticed fallen Grimm behind him with struck with arrows, taken down before they could reach him. His own partner though…still nothing to be proud of. He had been hit more times than any of them, not to mention had inflicted far less damage. Pathetic.

"Umbra!" He grimaced as he heard his name called out by said weakling. Leif had pulled up alongside him, feeding a fresh magazine into the hilt of his sword.

"What?" Umbra replied tensely, while striking down another Boarbatusk who had unwisely rolled straight at him.

"I got a plan-"

"So do I. Kill them all."

"Yeah, well I got a better one, but you'll have to trust me," Leif shot back, practically ignoring what he said. Trust him? Never in a thousand years. Umbra started moving forward to strike an Ursa when he felt a hand pull him back a few steps towards the very edge of the cliff. Leif's hand. A hand he now wanted to break.

"Hey! We don't have room to fight here, we need to leave!"

"Touch me again, and I'll- "

"Yeah, yeah, you'll break it, just catch the rope when you see it!"

"Wha ro-" Umbra's question was replaced with a loud oomph as he was suddenly greeted with the sight of the sky above, followed by the edge of the cliff as the rock walls rose above him.

Leif had just kicked him straight off the cliff. Leif. The weakling. Just kicked him. Off the cliff. For five seconds, no thoughts came to Umbra's stunned mind. After the sixth second of falling, rage roared through his body at being caught off guard, at being sent to his death by someone like him!

An arrow whizzing past him with a brown nylon rope attached marked the seventh second. While his brain tried to process the events occurring, survival instincts chose not to hesitate. Slamming his staffs back together, his now empty left hand grabbed the rope flying past him. Umbra felt the rope lose all slack as he suddenly changed directions, no longer falling but now swinging, likely towards the other end of the gorge.

The loud crunch as Umbra slammed into the far rock wall confirmed his theory. Shaking off the impact with a growl, he glanced up to sight of Luna peering over the edge. Whatever she was shouting was lost to the wind and sounds of battle, but her frantic motions were more than obvious in meaning.

Sliding his staff back under his robe, Umbra started to climb.


	11. The Only Way Forward

**Edge of a Seemingly Bottomless Cliff, Emerald Forest**

This was not good. Like every single part of this was bad. Why did it have to be a bottomless cliff, of all things? Leif had just finished being proud of himself for managing to actual survive his first fight while on the move too, his fears diminishing with this new confidence. Now the fear was rushing right back. Not fair universe, not fair.

"What now idiot? Run off the cliff since you don't want to fight?" shouted Umbra as he turned to face the incoming Grimm. His partner's face was nothing but anger and frustration, like this was somehow all his fault. Also not fair universe.

"Fighting is the plan right now, so shut up and help me buy us time," Mura snapped at him while moving to put herself between the Grimm and Leif. Umbra snarled back but took up position as well, making himself the obstacle to get through to get to Luna. Explosions and the sounds of melee combat filled Leif's ears as he frantically looked around for some sort of way out. Got to be something, some sort of option, somewhere, something. His chest was pounding now. Too many explosions, too much chaos. Would he actually die here?

*'SMACK'  _stinging pain, Dad's hands on my cheeks, concerned look_ * The memory of his dad smacking him came out of nowhere and vanished just as quick. The only indicator it had happened was the stinging sensation on his face, just like when it had happened year ago. Normally Leif would be annoyed over his semblance activating, but this time it was most welcomed.

His dad had slapped him because the younger Leif had panicked during a massive storm while at sea. The pain had snapped him out of it, the lesson being the moment one lost control of one's self was the moment all sense of direction was gone.

As long as one could direct himself, there was always a way out. Now, Leif just had to find it.

The gap was far too large and the cliffs atop the other side were much too high. The fall would likely kill them. They could not double back with the Ursai blocking the way and pushing even closer. Boarbatusks were closing in on their sides. Boxed in with the tidal wave of Grimm getting closer and closer.

Wave. Somehow that thought managed to turn a few gears in his mind. The best way to escape a wave or rip tide was to swim around it, not through or away from it. The Boarbatusks were many but weak; all they had to do was running parallel to the cliff until they found a crossing point. Not the best plan, but Leif didn't hear anyone else chiming in.

"Mura, punch a hole through the Grimm to our left!" The purple haired girl shot him an annoyed glance at being ordered around. Leif groaned inwardly; why now did she choose to have an attitude?

"Mura, please! We can't stay here." Luna pleaded, firing arrow after arrow at the approaching beasts. Umbra slammed his right staff into one's head while whipping the left around to block another one charging. The shield wielder looked to remain stubborn before firing her cannons into the Grimm blocking their leftward path. Squealing echoed into the canyon as the group rushed through the hole.

The running battle had shifted now, with Umbra and Murasaki staying between the Grimm and their partners with Leif and Luna firing in front and behind them. Leif aimed  _Horizon's Light_ and kept up a steady stream of fire to discourage any Grimm for running out in front of their path.

So far so good, they might just make it out of this.

Leif swore to himself to never think optimistically again as the ground shook beneath them, scores of trees vanishing in front of their eyes, forcing them all to come to a dead stop. Staring them dead on was a massive King Taijitu, its tongues hissing out vehemently as both heads glared menacingly at the first years. He felt his face paling into a stark white * _this is-'_ *dark face of a sharzark, inches away*' _WHAT IS THAT-' sharp pain*_ His semblance activated again without warning. The paralyzing fear he felt now was the same as back then. Imminent death.

Unlike earlier with the Ursai, the snake Grimm chose not to wait, the black head launching itself forward at Leif. Its fangs sharp and outstretched, fear immobilized his body.

Game over.

Then the fangs were replaced by the clouded blue sky as a shockwave knocked him on his back. The King Taijitu's black head hissed loudly in pain from the explosion caused by Mura's shields before it reeled backwards from several powerful hits smashing into its skull; the white head hissed in anger but made no immediate retaliation as the situation continued to develop. She landed next to him, not saying a word, instead proceeding to rush the two Ursai baring down on Luna, Ursai she had been forced to leave unchecked to save him.

Luna could have been killed because he froze up.

Murasaki had to leave her own partner because Leif was so weak.

* _'I refuse to be partners with the one who appears to be weakest of all of us'_ * The memory relived itself through his semblance. Umbra was right, he was weak he was- * _I'll swear I'll prove you wrong_ * His mind came to a dead stop when hearing that. That was his own voice. His thoughts in response to Umbra's declaration, shortly before they became partners.

That memory snapped him out of his daze, shaking his mind and body free of the crippling doubt it was beset with. Leif was doing nobody any favors being fear-struck and helpless; he was only proving Umbra right. He would survive this test or die trying.

With the way ahead now cut off, they needed a new exit plan. He thought back to the tidal wave metaphor; going around the wave of Grimm was no longer an option, and going through it was still a no-go. A squeal drew his attention to a Boarbatusk rolling towards him across the dirt. Flicking his wrist forward to reattach the blade, Leif brought it to bare on the rolling Grimm. While in this ball form, he knew they couldn't change directions or stop easily, so with a swing of his sword, the Grimm was knocked away and rolled off into the chasm behind them.

Looking back over the canyon again, Leif saw something that was different from the spot they had run from earlier. A tree growing out of the rock face near the top of the cliff. Still far too high and distant to jump to, but it might just be their ticket to safety.

* * *

 They just kept coming. While thankful that Mura was holding off the two Ursai that were closing in on her, she was running out of arrows and Dust to stop the growing numbers of Boarbatusks closing in, not to mention keep Umbra from getting overwhelmed by the King Taijitu who decided to focus on the male after its failed attack on his partner, something he seemed oblivious to. Her mind focused, creating two arrows from the ice Dust contained in her quiver, before firing them both into an Ursa about to strike Umbra's unprotected back, freeing him to block the snake's white head.

"Luna!" Leif suddenly shouted over the din of combat.

"What?" She shouted back trying not to take her eyes off the battle in front of her. Whatever he wanted, she really hoped it was an escape plan.

"You still got that rope?" This time it wasn't a shout, it was practically right in her ear. She nearly jumped back as Leif was suddenly next to her, his arm raised, still firing at the Grimm.

"Uh-uh yeah, why?"

"See that tree?" Leif asked, pointing to towards the cliff top, "Think you can hit it with an arrow?"

"Probably, but how-"

"Perfect, can you get across, tie the rope off to the tree, and then fire the arrow back with the rope attached?"

"The rope won't reach across" Luna pointed out, releasing another arrow into a flanking Grimm.

"Doesn't need to, just needs to be within jumping distance"

"You mean to have everyone swing across?" She asked, stunned.

"Something like that"

"How on Remnant are the remaining people going to hold of the Grimm once people-"

"Future details," he cut in, "Look I really can't think of anything else, so please trust me here?" Luna looked him in the eyes. Desperation and fear clearly were present, but mixed in was the same confidence she saw this morning. Even with all this, it was still there. She nodded.

"Alright then" She drew her rope arrow and aimed across the canyon "Who's swinging first?"

"Again, future details, just be ready!" Leif replied, looking slightly relieved that she was going along with his plan. Without another word, he turned and ran towards their partners, who were slowly being pushed back to the edge of the cliff. If it was anyone else, she would have questioned this plan a dozen times over.

Yet that confidence he had…she couldn't help but want to match it with her own.

* * *

 The Ursa roared in defiance one last time before Umbra's staffs put it down for good. Three of the Ursai were dead now, along with scores of Boarbatusks. Even with those kills, Umbra found himself backing up more and more towards the cliff. The snake had more than made up for those losses, as it launched attacks on first him, then Mura to his left. Despite her annoying personality, her fighting skills were certainly admirable. The Faunus girl wasn't too shabby either; several times now Umbra had noticed fallen Grimm behind him with struck with arrows, taken down before they could reach him. His own partner though…still barely anything to be proud of. He had been hit more times than any of them, not to mention had inflicted far less damage. Pathetic.

"Umbra!" He grimaced as he heard his name called out by said weakling. Leif had pulled up alongside him, feeding a fresh magazine into the hilt of his sword.

"What?" Umbra replied flatly, while striking down another Boarbatusk who had unwisely rolled straight at him.

"I got a plan-"

"So do I. Kill them all."

"Yeah, well I got a better one, but you'll have to trust me," Leif shot back, practically ignoring what he said. Trust him? Never in a thousand years. Umbra started moving forward to strike an Ursa when he felt a hand pull him back a few steps towards the very edge of the cliff. Leif's hand. A hand he now wanted to break.

"Hey! We don't have room to fight here, we need to leave!"

"Touch me again, and I'll- "

"Yeah, yeah, you'll break it, just catch the rope when you see it!"

"Wait what-" Umbra's question was replaced with a loud oomph as he was suddenly greeted with the sight of the sky above, followed by the edge of the cliff as the rock walls rose above him.

Leif had just kicked him straight off the cliff. Leif. The weakling. Just kicked him. Off the cliff. For five seconds, no thoughts came to Umbra's stunned mind. After the sixth second of falling, rage roared through his body at being caught off guard, at being sent to his death by someone like him!

An arrow whizzing past him with a brown nylon rope attached marked the seventh second. While his brain tried to process the events occurring, survival instincts chose not to hesitate. Slamming his staffs back together, his now empty left hand grabbed the rope flying past him. Umbra felt the rope lose all slack as he suddenly changed directions, no longer falling but now swinging, likely towards the other end of the gorge.

The loud crunch as Umbra slammed into the far rock wall confirmed his theory. Shaking off the impact with a growl, he glanced up to sight of Luna peering over the edge. Whatever she was shouting was lost to the wind and sounds of battle, but her frantic motions were more than obvious in meaning.

Sliding his staff back under his robe, Umbra started to climb.


	12. Over the Wave

**Emerald Forest, Vale**

"You realize he is going to kill you later, right?" Mura remarked as she clenched her right hand on the strap of  _Dawn_ , triggering its guns. This gave the two Boarbatusks trying to flank her a mouthful of explosion, preserving the tiny breathing room the two remaining initiates had for a short while longer.

"Glad you believe in me then," Leif chortled back, orange blade raised as he carefully watched the Grimm surrounding them.

"Ummm no offense, but if you two fight, my Lien is on Umbra," she retorted while dipping  _Dawn_ behind her back, allowing it to absorb the Dust from the vials on her belt.

"Mine too. I meant that since you think he'll get kill me later, you must believe we'll survive this." Mura actually broke eye contact with the Grimm to stare at the guy next to her for a second. Bruises covered his body, his shoulders rose and fell with exhaustion, fear even showed on his face, yet his voice had nothing but resolve. Resolve could only get you so far however; she returned her attention to the Grimm. The sole surviving Ursa roared as it took a menacing step forward; hissing from the King Taijitu grew louder as it continued to slither behind the line of Grimm. Howls and squeals echoed off of the canyon walls as a wall of fire exploded into existence in between them and their prey; Luna just bought them a little more time with a Dust arrow from across the gorge.

"Come on Umbra, hurry up," she heard Leif mutter angrily. Risking another glance away from the Grimm, she saw Umbra across the canyon just over half way to the top, with Luna anxiously looking back and forth between the rope and them, her bow nocked and ready.

"The minute he gets up there, you need to jump and catch the next arrow Luna sends." Leif called out. Annoyance filled Mura again. Why on Remnant did Leif seem to think he could order her around? He wasn't even her partner, yet that didn't seem to stop him. She was only listening to him so far because she happened to agree with him; that stopped now.

"Yeah, I'm not doing that," she snapped back.

"We don't have time to argue-"

"I'm not arguing with you, I'm telling you. You're not the boss of me; I can take care of myself!"

"Then how do you propose we get across, huh? Fly?"

"Using my shield, yeah, I can probably make it to the rope" Only the crackling of fire and the sounds of the Grimm was audible as that gave the boy pause.

"You-you can fly with it?" He finally stammered, shocked.

"Not exactly, but I can propel across the gap by firing off Dust," Mura explained, "In fact, I can get both of us across." Her right hand tingled, the strap of her shield vibrating to indicate it had charged up. She widened her stance, spreading her arms before looking at her fellow first year. Leif's face was a mix of uncertainty and surprise, yet after hearing the Ursa behind the flames roar, he shrugged acceptingly.

"Yeah okay, let's do that," he said as he sheathed his sword, moving towards her. Although she tried not to show it, nervousness had eked its way into her system. She had never tried to move two people at one time with her shields. Still though, this was her plan, her idea. That thought was far more comforting to her than anything else was as Leif laid his left arm around her neck, grabbing hold of her left arm while bracing his back against her right arm. The fire was still crackling behind them but the roar of the Grimm was growing louder. It was now or never.

"Here we go!" Mura shouted as she gripped her shield straps tight, engaging the guns. Twin explosions detonated as she flew across the canyon, grapping the rope as her forward momentum slowed.

Only she had flown across the canyon however. In the split second between the trigger being pulled and lift off, her aura twisted as warning bells went off in her mind. In that same second, she felt Leif slip off her. Hanging from the rope, her shields banging off the rock, Mura raced her eyes around the canyon panicked. Did she drop him? Did he fall? Did she just get Leif killed?

The sight her eyes found answered all of those questions with a resounding no. At the top of cliff where she had been moments ago was Leif, sword drawn, struggling with all his might to hold back the black head of the King Taijitu from clamping shut on him. The snake's body was still in the flames; sensing its prey was about to escape, the Grimm must have tried to a last ditch attack. If Leif hadn't done what he did, they both would have been snake food.

Now just Leif would be and there was nothing Mura could do.

* * *

Dumb. Stupid. Idiotic. Foolish. Just a few of the many adjectives rushing through Leif's skull as he tried not to get pushed back off the cliff by the King Taijitu bearing down on his blade. One second he was praying his heart out that Mura wouldn't drop him, the next he had yanked himself away from her to react to his aura sensing a threat. She was alive at least, so it wasn't in vain…or at least he thought she was alive; this snake wasn't giving him the chance to check.

Pressure lessened on his arm as the snake hissed loudly, yanking its head back with two arrows embedded in its skull. Luna was still watching out for him, thankfully. Using the distraction to look across the cliff, he saw to his immense relief Mura climbing up the rope, along with Umbra just reaching the top. His plan had actually worked, they made it across!

Then his brain actually realized the situation. They had made it across. But he was still here. With the Grimm. And no back up.

' _Well not the best decision I've ever made'_  Leif grimly acknowledged as he turned back to face the Grimm. The flames Luna had made had all but vanished, only smoldering ashes remained in the grass. Yet apart from the King Taijitu, the Grimm had not resumed their advance. Not out of fear, more just they knew not to get between the snake and its prey. While nice to confirm that story that he heard from a huntsman about the way Grimm hunt, this didn't help the situation at all. It just meant even if he did kill the King Taijitu, the other Grimm would just rip him to shreds.

* _WHY DOES MY SIDE- *_  Lots of teeth, all sharp, clamped around my right side-* Leif winced as he pushed out the memory for the third time today. His damn semblance always chose the worst moments to kick in. The past few minutes would likely be added to the rotation of bad memories he didn't want to relive, provided he survived to be plagued by it. Staring dead on at the King Taijitu, whose black head was still reeling from the arrows, he gripped his sword tighter, trying to stay calm. He wasn't dead yet, just beaten around a bit. The other half of the snake caught his eye, coiling behind the black head as it retreated. It would strike now while the other recovered. But how it would strike would be key. Leif should be dead right now, but it must be wary of Luna's striking distance, keeping it from ending his life outright.

That wouldn't last though. Grimm weren't stupid.

*"-but they can be made stupid _" This guy must be drunk. Four mugs. Yeah, definitely drunk. Hope Dad finishes up selling the fish soon "_ You're full of shit mate" "I'm telling you, when they get too fixated on their prey, they make dumb moves. Once we caused a sharzark to chase itself in circles by coating a remote sub with a little blood, it was hilarious!" "Seriously, you need to lay of the boo-"* This time his semblance activating was no accident as Leif manually cut off the memory he started. The sight of the docks vanished, replaced with white head of King Taijitu staring him down.

Foolish. Stupid. Idiotic. Dumb. All words rushing through his head to describe the idea he was formulating. Yet it was the only one he had. Flicking his wrist to snap the blade back, he took a deep breath before pointing the gun at his foe.

"HEY UGLY! COME AND GET ME!"

* * *

"He's going to die."

"You don't know that."

"Is it not obvious?"

Umbra was really starting to piss Luna off now. Not just his non-caring attitude towards everyone, but the unfortunate fact he was looking more and more right by the second. She only had a few actual arrows left, and while she still had Dust left, there wasn't enough room between Leif and the King Taijitu to ensure his safety. Umbra didn't seem to have any long range attacks and while Mura might be able to reach, she was still only half way up the rope. Leif's roar brought her attention back to him.

The muzzle flashes faintly showed in the distance as he shouted incoherently at his target. The snake, looking angrier than hurt, hissed loudly and coiled tightly near its center. Paleness filled her cheeks; her dad said Taijitus only coil when it was about to launch a lightning quick attack. Leif didn't show any signs of moving however, only twisting his sword so the blade was no longer covering his arm, but kept it in gun form. Her arm reached for an arrow only to have it caught by Umbra. Did he really mean to have his partner die just so he could be rid of him?

"It won't kill it and you would only prolong his suffering. Let this end now, either he lives or dies," he said flatly.

"Let me go!" She yelled, pulling her arm hard, trying to break his grip.

"You know I'm right," he coldly stated, but released her anyways. She grabbed the arrow and nocked it, but as she sighted the snake it was too late. The white head launched itself forward mouth wide open, with frightening speed. There is no way he would be able to dodge in time.

Which is likely why Leif didn't try. Right as the outstretched jaw reached him, he lifted his sword above his head and let the snake impale itself on the blade. Hissing in pain, the huge Grimm flew off the cliff, having no way to stop itself. Leif snapped the blade back together as he used the leverage to flip himself over the mouth, pulling the blade out while landing on the snake's skull. Luna could only watch in amazement as he kept his arms outstretched, trying to keep his balance as the King Taijitu flew down and across the gorge. His face was a mix of fear and focus; her own eyes widened as she realized his plan.

The white head slammed into the cliff wall on their side. Right before it did, Leif took two steps and launched himself forward. The momentum carried him straight towards his goal: the bottom of the rope. The impact on the cliff face forced Mura, who was two thirds of the way up now, to freeze or risk falling. The snake's heads hissed in pain as the Grimm continued its fall towards the bottom. Its passenger didn't join them; Leif, looking very shaken and relieved was safely clutching the bottom of the rope with one hand. The whole area went quiet as the hissing faded away. The Grimm on the now vacant side of the gorge had slunk back into the woods as well. Dead silent, for a moment anyways.

"I TAKE BACK WHAT I SAID EARLIER! NOW THAT WAS THE BALLIEST THING I'VE EVER SEEN!" Mura shouted down at Leif. A very weak smile appeared on his face but no words quite yet. Luna heard laughter then realized it was her own as she collapsed backwards onto her knees, letting her bow fall from her hand. Umbra continued to stand beside here, utter amazement on his face. This whole situation was just unbelievable. They weren't even huntsmen yet, let alone official students.

CRACK. The loud retort caused Luna to jump to her feet with fear. That sort of sound could never indicate something good. The cliff face tree that the rope was tied to, shaken by the impact of the Taijitu, suddenly lurched downwards, then fell completely away from the cliff. Reacting quickly, she threw herself forward, leaning over the cliff to snap the branch the rope was tied to away from the falling tree. She felt herself lurch forward, her muscles screaming as she used all her strength to keep the rope from falling with both her and Umbra's partner along with it.

Then she felt the ground give way underneath her, taking her along with it.

* * *

' _I could have just let them die_ ' Umbra groaned internally as he felt Luna's weight along with those on the rope pull hard at his arm. Embedded into the cliff face where the tree once was his staff, with one arm wrapped around it to keep him from falling. The other arm was wrapped around Luna's waist to keep her from falling. Inches below him was Luna's shocked expression, many feet below him was Mura's and Leif's terrified ones. He could have just let them all plummet to their deaths. He had no reason to save them, they weren't his friends, they weren't even his tribe. Yet his body moved without a second thought as their deaths would have brought unwanted questions from the teachers who were supposedly monitoring them during this test. Frustration continued building however as more feelings raced through his mind as he looked back down at those he just saved.

Frustration was building because he knew those reasons didn't occur to him until after he already was moving. Until after he caught Luna.

His muscles screaming in pain snapped him out of these conflicting thoughts.

"CLIMB OR FALL NOW!" Umbra roared down the rope. That seemed to snap the Luna's and his partners out of shock and both scrambled up the rope. His arms felt incredibly fatigued by today's events, his face strained with exertion. Glancing back down, he was surprised to find Luna's yellow eyes staring back at him. While she said no words, the Faunus mouthed 'Thank you'. Umbra just nodded wordlessly, as her look caused a weird pit to form in his stomach. Too many conflicting feelings were going through him right now, he just wanted this day to end.

Mura reached the top first, only having been a few feet away. Umbra winced as she carefully clambered around Luna and up his left arm onto the cliff, letting out a huge sigh of relief as she collapsed. Leif was now half way up. His pained exhausted expression still had streaks of…joy? Relief? Some sort of positive feeling that one gets from pulling off an insane foolhardy feat. That was his partner right there. Still so weak, so inexperienced, yet Umbra felt another uncomfortable feeling within him, it too unrecognizable one, caused by see Leif pull off that foolhardy maneuver.

That uncomfortable new feeling seemed to make him even more shocked at the rope snapping.

The wear and tear on the rope from people climbing on it, not to mention the earlier impact, was just too much. Luna screamed while Umbra watched in what he could only guess was horror as Leif's face turned stark white despite the sweat and dirt as he began to plummet downwards. His worries multiplied by two as his arm felt his staff starting to give way; the cliff was still unstable. While there was nothing he could do for Leif, he did the only thing he could for Luna and him. He used the rest of his strength to fling her back over the cliff top before pulling himself back over as well. The wolf girl was already back looking over the cliff, screaming Leif's name as though it would somehow save him.

It wouldn't, but the blur to their left might succeed where they couldn't.

* * *

"WHY. CAN'T. THINGS. BE. EASY!" Mura shouted to no one in particular as she felt the air rush around her. She had just gotten out of this gorge yet there was no hesitation as she dove back in, for reasons she could only begin to fathom. Her eyes found Leif plunging deeper with every second below her, with no chance at her catching him given the laws of gravity. Which meant resorting to her semblance to change that.

Her hand outstretched, she felt her aura flow through her as she focused on Leif below. Nothing noticeable happened at first, but after a few seconds, Leif had begun to slow. Her semblance, which she could use to raise things up against gravity, wasn't strong enough to bring him towards him but it was enough to keep him in a motionless limbo long enough for her to catch him. With great effort, she moved her left arm towards her head while loosing the strap by a good amount. She then slid her shield from her wrist to around her head, twisting it around so it was around her neck with the front facing outward from her back. Now just to catch Leif.

Three seconds of falling later, she did.

"What-how-?" He stammered, his lips flapping as he resumed falling now that her semblance was back off.

"Attempt number two." She just muttered back as she wrapped her arms around chest tightly. Cocking her head down, her chin hit the trigger. A fully charged explosion followed suit sending them both back towards the top of the canyon. Their momentum started failing before they reached the top, forcing her to roll them both until  _Dusk_ across his chest was pointed down.

That next shot propelled them over the cliff edge onto solid ground next to Luna and Umbra, finally safe. It wasn't a soft landing, but the feeling of solid ground beneath her was welcome nonetheless. For the next few moments, there was no words spoken, just heavy breathing amongst the breeze. No Grimm. No gunfire. No danger.

Just safety.


	13. Team

**Amphitheater, Beacon Academy, Vale**

The sound of applause rippled through the crowd as Luna watched the newly minted Team OBDN head off the other side of the stage. Despite everything they had gone through during initiation, she found herself just as nervous now as she was earlier. The walk back to the meeting point had been silent, although Luna chalked it up more to exhaustion than tension. Yet now, hours later, that awkward atmosphere remained. Umbra remained as stoic as ever even as Leif attempted small talk. Mura, on the other hand, seemed oddly disconnected compared to earlier in the day, not even really trying to humor Leif. There was no real indication for this change, worrying Luna further. As the clapping died down, Professor Goodwitch motioned to them to start walking up, the second team to be named tonight.

"Next up," Professor Ozpin announced, clearing his throat to silence the crowd, "Umbra Imaly, Murasaki Zenith, Luna Okirikiri, and Leif Circinus." Their pictures appeared on the huge monitor that hung above the stage as they halted in a line in front of the headmaster.

"The four of you retrieved the white bishop pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team LUMO." The image of bright white filled her mind at the word as Luna heard a sharp intake of breath to her right. Umbra looked a bit peeved for some reason, a mixture of surprise and dismay. Lumo was an old word meaning light; something she vaguely recalled from a story she heard as a child. Umbra's reaction was just another mystery added to the pile with regards to him. Leif looked a bit bemused; it seemed he knew the word as well. Yet her own partner seemed to be the odd one out, confusion showing on her face.

"Led by… Leif Circinus," Ozpin concluded as applause started to fill the amphitheater.

Some say the air can change when immense emotional shift occurred. Luna had always thought this was just an old wife's tale, but as the air seemed to become thick and heavy, she started to think otherwise. Only Leif's expression was open to see. The Vale teen looked completely floored by the announcement, his jaw dropped as far as his face would allow, eyes wide as the sun.

Mura and Umbra's faces were unreadable however. Both were staring dead on at the boy to their right. None of them moved from the stage, despite the next four initiates, four males, walking up behind them, the tall brown haired one annoyed that she and her team were still taking up the stage. The crowd's clapping slowed as confusion set in. She looked at Professor Ozpin, hoping he would do something to snap them out of it. The old man's eyes merely narrowed as he cleared his throat again, snapping the three disconcerted teens back to reality. He then tilted his head slightly, indicating that they needed to move.

In that brief movement, Luna felt something stir. Her eyes widened in shock, mirroring Leif's. Why here? Why now? As his head moved, Ozpin's glasses shimmered then turned opaque, his green eyes no longer visible. Instead the lenses reflected the faces of the three beside her- her new teammates.

Leif's was filled with horror, looking like he would break down into tears.

Mura's was covered with distrust, her eyes narrowed in suspicion as she kept them locked on Leif.

Pure contempt was all that shown on Umbra's, yet only for a second. To Luna's puzzlement, Umbra's face seemed to reset, still looking to the right, but now with no emotion showing at all. The Faunus snapped herself out of her semblance only to catch sight of Umbra's actual face. No longer was it unreadable.

The utter contempt that showed in his reflection was now showing as clear as the night sky on his face.


	14. Exchange of Silence

**First Year Dorms, Beacon Academy, Vale**

*"Led by… Leif Circinus,"  _what. Did he just. why_ * The ding of the elevator doors sliding open snapped the memory out of Leif's mind. His semblance had been replaying that moment almost constantly since they left the stage. A waking nightmare that he couldn't escape. The tense silence around him was a constant reminder, deafening all other noises leaving him alone with his memory. As the four walked down the hall, Leif chanced a glance at his new teammates, hoping half-heartedly that a change in their demeanor might have happened since the ceremony.

In just one glance, that hope was snuffed out.

A barely readable mixture of suspicion and weariness on Murasaki's face, as her eyes darted between him and the rest of the team. Umbra by contrast wore a perfectly readable expression of barely controlled fury. Even Luna looked off, no smile or kind expression, her yellow eyes cast downwards away from the team, despondent.

They were a team only on paper. In reality, they were anything but.

After another few minutes of painful silence, they found the door leading to their new home. Inside the dark room was a fairly plain set up; four beds, two on either side of a window in the center. Their bags, illuminated only by the moonlight streaming through the window, had already been moved in, ready to be unpacked though it was doubtful anyone was in the mood to do so. As Umbra began to move towards the farthest bed on the right, Leif took a deep breath and decided to break the silence.

"I-well-I mean since we're a team now, maybe we should, you know, get to know each other better?" Mura just scoffed at the attempt, rolling her eyes, as she moved off to the bed on the left near the middle. Umbra didn't even bother to look back as he fell into his chosen sleeping place. Looking for Luna, hoping she would at least be willing to bail him out, Leif found more disappoint as she moved past him without a word. The wolf Faunus merely closed the blinds, darkening the room further, before heading to bed on the other side of Mura, while averting her gaze from everyone in the room. He didn't blame her; if he had wanted to be a huntsman his whole life just to wind up on a team like this…he would want to just look away and hope it was all just a bad dream.

Leif sighed as he climbed into the remaining bed, like the others, not even bothering to change. His body ached from today's events, but not nearly as much as his mind did now. Had he made the right choice, coming here when he could have done anything else with his life? Should he just quit, go back home to his parents, study for a different job?

Pulling the covers over him, he closed his eyes, trying to push out the storm of doubts now raging in his mind. Yet, even with his eyes shut, his semblance continued to show him that this was no dream.

*"Led by… Leif Circinus,"*

It was reality.


	15. Consistently Inconsistent

**Hallways of Beacon, Vale**

"That's it for this class. Now remember to have your paper on the various Grimm species you encountered during Initiation done by next class! Dismissed!" Professor Port bellowed as the first years began to gather their things. Luna placed her textbooks and papers into her satchel as she heard sigh behind her. Glancing back, she saw Leif staring at the exit, catching sight of Umbra's back as he exited ahead of everyone else. The teen didn't even bother to sit near the rest of the team during classes, much less be around them outside of lecture hour. Despite everything they had gone through during Initiation, including him saving their lives, Umbra seemed to prefer to pretend that they didn't even exist.

Not that Mura was much better; while she would actually interact with her partner and Leif, joking and being civil, her streak of defiance reared its head whenever Leif even seemed to act remotely like their team leader. Whereas Umbra was at least consistent, Mura was unpredictable in her behavior, even to Luna.

"Well let's get some lunch," her partner cheerfully said, popping up from her chair. The cheeriness seemed to have least snapped Leif out of his daze.

"Sure, totally, plus it's a great day outside, could probably eat in the courtyard if we-"

"Yeah, no, I'm eating inside. Far too hot out there for me to feel like dealing with," Mura snapped back, grabbing her bag and walking off. There it was again, over where they were eating lunch of all things. Leif started to speak out at her, but instead chose to shrug with a sigh and follow after her with Luna.

It was a foolish hope for Luna to have thought things might get a little better in the week since Initiation. After the tension filled, depressing night that followed, things only seemed to get worse as the days went on. Mura's rebellious streaks were commonplace, Umbra's hostility never lessened, Leif's already low confidence kept getting lower and lower; the worst part was she knew it would all happen from the moment they became a team, from the moment she saw their reflections in Professor Ozpin's glasses. Her semblance was never wrong.

The cafeteria was already buzzing with people, filling the air around them with much needed noise. Most of the students were already sat in their teams of four, happily chatting away while enjoying their meals.

' _At least there were some teams out here happy to be together._ ' Luna gloomily mused as she waited in line for their food. Leif and Mura still had yet to exchange any words since leaving the classroom, although it seemed like Leif had given in to just letting her dictate where they sat. Today's meal was a simple lunch of sandwiches and fruit, perfect fuel for the weapons training they would be doing this afternoon with Professor Goodwitch. At least in that class, her teammates could vent their frustration at practice dummies.

"There's a good spot, we can enjoy the view," Mura motioned after they collected their food. Luna frowned as she saw where the table was; in front of one of huge bay windows. Reflections. Not good. Leif just shrugged; if Luna wanted to avoid it, it would be on her to do so.

"Umm maybe that one instead?" She quickly spat out nervously, face tensed up awaiting an outburst as she pointed towards an opening near the center of the cafeteria. The outburst never came though, as her partner shrugged and headed towards the seats. More inconsistencies; was it because it was her and not Leif, or something else? The trio sat down and started to eat, content to let the students around them fill the air with conversation. That silence didn't stay consistent for long though.

"So do you think Umbra actually eats anything, or just survives off of spite?" Mura joked "Cause I've never actually seen him around at meal times."

"Who knows with him?" Leif meekly replied, obviously trying to avoid annoying her.

"Like do you think he just cooks his own food? Like our food just isn't 'strong enough' for him?" Mura laughed.

"I, um, maybe yeah." He chuckled along with her. It was like the earlier argument never happened, at least to her partner. Just like it had been all week, she was pleasant with Leif when the conversation stayed light and unserious. Luna felt no choice but to just give in, relax and enjoy this moment while she could.

"Weather looks great outside, maybe we could catch a walk after lunch before next class," Mura suggested, cheerily. Luna froze mid chew; so much for that peaceful moment. Her wolf ears cringed, knowing what was about to happen.

"Wait, I thought you said it was too hot?" Leif pointed out, naively. Mura froze just before taking a bite, her eyes widening as she realized her contradiction.

"Well I changed my mind. Is that a problem?"

"No I just-, I mean-yeah sure let's do that," Leif quickly conceded, his face reddening. Mura wasn't having any of it though, suddenly standing up.

"You know what? I'm actually going to go check on my shields before class. Is that okay with you?" she mockingly asked him, face full of exaggeration. Not that she really cared for an answer, moving off before Leif could say a word, leaving the two to finish their lunch in silent rumination. Luna started to get the feeling that it really was something to do with Leif and only Leif; when it was just the two of them, she never was like this.

"Still having team issues, huh?" a feminine voice asked as a blonde student sat down in the now empty seat in front of them, joined by her black-clad partner, silent as ever. Leif didn't answer, just continuing to munch on his food.

"Is it really that obvious Yang?" Luna answered in her team leader's stead, sighing.

"Oh, just a teeny bit," the huntress in training replied, rolling her eyes. "Given the scene at Initiation, you four sorta stick out to everyone."

"Things aren't so different for us, Yang," Blake chimed in softly. "It just takes time to work through things."

"Would be easier if the team actually wanted to be together," Leif muttered despondently "I have a partner who wants nothing to do with me and a teammate who is pretty anti-team."

"Mura seemed fine with the team during Professor Peach's class yesterday," Yang replied, trying to brighten the mood.

"You mean the one where all the team leaders were at a special orientation, so I wasn't there?"

"Yeah that one…" Yang confirmed, her voice trailing off towards the end as she realized the issue. The fiery blonde didn't let that stop her for long though.

"Well maybe you'll all bond better during the four on fours in Goodwitch's class this afternoon. Trial by fire right? Guys?" Luna's mind literally stopped at hearing that.

"Come-come again?" she asked weakly.

"Professor Goodwitch said we would be doing team sparring, remember?" Blake reiterated, looking a bit worried at their reactions. A slam was heard to her right; Leif's face was mashed into his lunch tray, face screwed up in exasperation.

"Yeah, I'm sure this will go so well…." Luna hollowly said, knowing this afternoon would go anything but that.

* * *

The cool air on the back of his neck was still a pleasantry Umbra wasn't fully use to yet. Back home, there was never any real choice but to suck it up and keep going. Then again, maybe that's what made people here so soft, never having to deal with hardships like his tribe did.

However, struggling to read a book was a hardship he rarely dealt with growing up. His brow furrowing, he could feel the frustration building up inside of him again. True, he had learned his letters, could read and write, but rarely had he needed to use what his mentor Nox referred to as 'weakling skills'. In battle, all he needed to read was the tides of combat; all he needed to write were the tales of his victories in his mind. Yet here he was, for the third day in a row, in Beacon's library searching through countless books for the answers he needed.

' _Why on Remnant are there so many of them? What could there be so much to write about?_ ' Umbra thought to himself as he slammed shut  _Dangerous Grimm and Where to Avoid Them_ , throwing it back on the shelf. Three days now he had searched for any mention of the  _Legend of Lightless Night_ , yet none of these tomes held any mention of it. Plenty of encyclopedias on Grimm and Dust, weapon technical manuals, cookbooks, guides to local plants and animals, and pointless fictional novels of various genres, but nothing that helped him in the slightest.

A sharp gasp was let out to his left, causing him to look to see the backside of a librarian speeding away in the other direction. After the first day he spent in here, the library's staff had learned all too quickly to leave the Vacuo teen alone. While they might be of some help, it would be far too risky to let any of the staff here at Beacon know what he was searching for. He would not return to home empty handed simply because he couldn't keep his mouth shut like Nox required.

The chiming bell signaled afternoon lessons were about to begin, further frustrating Umbra. These classes were a waste of his time, with them either covering information he already knew or teaching things he didn't care to learn. What's worse was being around his three 'teammates'. Mura was constantly picking at him, constantly a pest, where's Leif continued to be a constant disappointment. His teeth clenched together at just the thought of his partner as he exited the library. The old man was a fool to make someone like him a 'leader'.

Only the wolf girl was tolerable. While there weren't many Faunus amongst the Skugga, he was familiar enough with the animal humanoids to know they possessed advantages that humans like him didn't. Their natural ability to see in the dark was much respected by their fellow human members of the tribe, envious of being able to do naturally what many warriors trained for years to be able to do in any capacity. Yet, Faunus outside the tribe were also heavily feared, as even when the lights go out, they could still see their enemies in the darkness shrouding them.

' _Yet the faithful will be rewarded with limitless sight in the darkness that will swallow all the light whole'_  Umbra mused, thinking back to part of the tale he was told as a child. He still wasn't totally convinced the legend was even real, but he had his orders. He would do whatever it took to ensure his tribe could rise to greatness through the darkness once more.

* * *

The urge to punch the worktable continued to fill Murasaki as she did unneeded maintenance on her shields. The weapon workshop was empty save for her, as most students were with their teams during this time between classes. Then again, most students didn't have an inexperienced fool trying to lead them. Except perhaps Team JNPR, but Jaune hardly tried to exert authority over his team.

' _Unlike Leif_ ' fumed Mura in her thoughts. Despite clearly not being qualified for the job, he kept acting like he was in charge, trying to get them all to coordinate on classwork, do things after classes as a team, or even just dictate every little decision that came up, like he knew so much better what was best for them all. Just like back during Initiation, he would just bark out orders, expecting everyone to listen, even going so far as to ask mockingly rhetorical questions such as for their suggestions and ideas.

Her fist stung as she slammed the table, giving into her urge. Ozpin screwed up, it should have been her or Luna, heck even Umbra, who at least left them all alone instead of Leif's controlling attitude. A deep breath in and a deep breath out later, Mura tried to shake off these unpleasant thoughts of reality and grabbed a smaller screwdriver and oil can from amongst the tools in front of her. Despite their well-built nature, she still constantly checked her weapons, making sure they stayed in perfect working order.

Both  _Dawn_ and  _Dusk_ were a product of her and her father's workmanship. Picked out by Mura when she first started to show interest in being a huntress, the shields at first were nothing more than literal metal walls with sharpened edges. Given their weight and size, eight-year-old Mura had to use wooden training shields to practice with until she got older. However, her dad began making tweaks and modifications to the shields, using the skills he picked up serving in Atlas's military. The result was installation of the mini cannons on the fronts of each shield, giving her a ranged attack for added flexibility.

Her green eyes carefully inspected the telescopic metal slides, making sure no rust or decay had occurred. These were the real special part of her weapons, the Dust absorbing bands that could charge her guns from any Dust source around her, be it enemy attacks or the vials she kept on her belt. They were a surprise gift from her dad; she woke up one morning to find him home in the workshop, after being gone for half a year on military business. Between having her dad home and the new attachments to her weapon, her twelve-year-old self couldn't have been happier.

Her hand tightening a screw slowed to a stop, matching the speed at which her smile was turning upside down. Shortly after his return, her life came crashing down. In the four years since then, she had yet to feel that level of happiness again, even once. Seeing her dad's broken body at the bottom of the frozen falls, sneaking into her parent's room to find his suicide note that her mother tried to hide, attending his funeral only to be interrogated by Atlas military police afterwards, her mother becoming the polar opposite of herself in the years following his death; all those things ensured her happiness would stay buried for a long time. His death signaled the death of her childhood, and with it, her freedom.

Mura took a deep breath as she strapped her shields back on her arms. Glancing at the clock, she knew she needed to get going to class. She may have lost her freedom for past four years, but now she would take back her control of her life. One way or another.


	16. Murphy's Law

**Amphitheater, Beacon Academy, Vale**

Leif could hear the applause petering out as Teams OBDN and RWBY cleared the arena in the center of Beacon's amphitheater. OBDN had fought decently, but RWBY's members seemed well above the average skill level of the rest of the first years. The Vale teen couldn't help but feel relieved that they weren't fighting them, especially given…well, everything about their own team.

' _Grades are going to take a dive after this one_ ' he resigned, his idle hands nervously tapping on the spare ammo clips around his waist. The hallway to the arena was silent as LUMO's members had nothing to say to one another. At least nothing any of them wanted to say aloud anyways.

"The next fight will be Team LUMO versus Team CRDL. Both teams take your places!" Professor Goodwitch called out from her podium in the stands. Taking a steady breath, Leif jogged out of the tunnel along with the rest of his team, mirroring the four male members of CRDL across the arena from them. On paper, this looked to be an even match up, yet something told him that team cohesion would be the key decider. Glancing down the line at his team, Leif felt the pit in stomach grow larger at realizing how badly this was going to go.

He had to try though, so that no one could accuse him otherwise.

"Alright guys, so we need to have a plan here-"

"Take them down. That's the plan." Umbra cut in, not even bothering to look at his partner.

"That's the goal, not a plan-"

"Don't get beat while beating them down, is that better for you? Or do you think you know better?" Mura shot over at him, hostility in her voice. Leif winced at the accusation. He didn't know better, that's the whole reason why he was asking them!

"I'm just-" A loud buzzer cut off him off. The match had begun.

"Look let's try to stick to-Umbra!" Leif shouted out at his partner charging forward without waiting for the team.

"Alright, well Mura, cover him while-"

"Cover him yourself, I know what to do," the dark haired girl retorted while running forward as well. Ten seconds into the match and already Leif had lost almost all control of LUMO.

"Ummm what should I do then?" Luna asked, still remaining by him despite her partner's rebellious charge.

"Just cover Mura I guess, and I'll try to guard Umbra," Leif sighed. With his only command as team leader issued, he charged after Umbra with his sword drawn high and his heart sunk low.

* * *

His heart practically was leaping from his chest. Never did Umbra feel more alive than when in combat with another person. While Grimm were equally deadly, facing another individual that could plan and adapt like he could was far more thrilling to his warrior self. CRDL had hardly moved from their starting position, the members looking shocked at the sight of an imposing warrior like him charging them head on. Yet the leader of Team CRDL, Cardin Winchester, regained his composure after a second, locking eyes with Umbra. The perfect target for Umbra to start with, and if the rest stayed as well, so be it; the Skugga tribesman relished a four on one challenge.

To his annoyance though, both Russel Thrush and Dove Bronzewing peeled off to his right after a nod from Cardin, leaving Sky Lark and the leader himself to face Umbra. He would deal with those two cowards later, after the fight in front of him was finished. Likely would only be a minute or two.

He let out a roar as he leapt forward, arms stretched out with a staff in each hand. Sky took a step back, his hands shaking while trying to keep a steady grip on his halberd, yet Cardin stepped forward with a fierce smirk. Overconfident; Umbra loved that in an opponent, it made it so much sweeter when they finally realized just how outclassed they were.

' _Time to see just how strong macho boy is_ ' Umbra determined as he swung his staffs forward, bringing his strength to bear on the brown haired leader. The downward blow connected, not with his opponent's face, but with his mace which had been raised just in time. So Cardin could defend himself, a good sign that this just might be a decent fight. Despite being blocked, Umbra felt Cardin's posture shift and slide back a few steps from the weight of the blow. Strong, but not strong enough.

Wasting no time, Umbra snapped his right leg up as he landed on his left, catching Cardin's exposed stomach with his knee. As the boy doubled over from the impact, Umbra continued to go through the motions of his attack. The knee was followed up by a hit with his right staff, launching Cardin into the air as Umbra spun to the left to build momentum. That momentum was then transferred into his left arm as he swung his staff around with him, catching the still airborne teen in the stomach before flinging him hard into the back wall of the arena.

A few groans were heard in the audience, likely at the brutality of the hit, but Umbra paid them no heed. This was a fight. The winner would be the strongest warrior left standing. He shifted his focus to Sky, who had backed up even more now, fear showing in his eyes.

That fear brought a smile to Umbra's face as he moved forward once more.

* * *

Blocking Russel's twin daggers with  _Dawn_ , Mura ducked down to avoid Dove's sword from slamming into her head. Obviously there would be no real damage as long as she still had Aura, but she had always had it drilled into her head to treat every fight like it was for keeps. Triggering the guns on her shields, she forced Dove and Russel to both back off lest they be hit by the fiery projectiles of Dust. Having two shields were perfect for two on one fights, even if it was slightly harder.

Now having some breathing room, Mura rose to full height and carefully observed her two opponents. They had regrouped beside each other, watching her just as carefully. Someone had to make the first move, yet she preferred it to be them; her style was at its strongest when under attack, not when striking first. Charging her cannons was out of the question too; the Dust vials around her waist needed to be closer to the metal bands, and it would leave her exposed to try and recharge right now. She needed to do something though, she couldn't just stand here without a plan.

' _Cover him yourself, I know what to do_ ' her words to Leif earlier came back to her, causing frustration in her. She would figure out what to do, she just needed a moment to think to-  _Dusk_  was barely raised in time to block a hail of bullets from Dove's weapon. Russel was hunched low, running at her under the cover fire provided by his teammate. Mura grimaced, noting that the bullets were barely Dust infused enough to charge her cannons more. She just needed an opening to move before Russel got close enough to outmaneuver her.

Yet the gunfire refused to let up, allowing the agile mohawk boy to close the gap with every second. Her nerves beginning fail her, unsure of what to do. In that moment of doubt, she almost missed the gunfire ceasing followed by sounds of lightning going off. Wasting no time questioning what occurred, she dropped her guard and ran at her oncoming attacker. Russel's face showed confusion at why his comrade ceased firing, that brief moment of uncertainty leaving him wide open.

Mura didn't miss. Neither did Russel as he slid across the floor, slamming into a shocked Dove, smoke from lightning Dust wisping off him.

"You okay?" she heard Luna shout behind her. Her partner had saved her with a Dust arrow she realized; thank god she had someone watching out for her.

"Yeah, thanks partner," Mura answered relieved, "But we're not out of the woods yet." She motioned towards the now rising members of CRDL. Sparing a moment to examine the rest of the arena, she spotted Umbra engaging Sky, albeit rather one-sidedly as the poor long haired male was being used a punching bag. Meanwhile a very annoyed Cardin looked to be squaring off with a very underprepared Leif. Helping him would be best course of action here.

Yet she didn't move. She didn't speak her concern aloud to Luna. She wasn't even sure why.

' _Or do you think you know better?_ ' Her earlier thoughts again came back to her. Helping him may be the right thing to do in this moment, but it may just be better that her arrogant leader be knocked down a peg or two. Maybe then he wouldn't think he knew what was best for her.

* * *

Leif narrowly dodged another explosion of Dust as Cardin advanced on him fiercely. Being six foot three, Leif was used to being the tallest one around until he met the taller Umbra but Cardin stood on par with him. He flipped the blade down, letting loose a hail of gunfire at his attacker, but grimaced as the tiny bullets made little impact against his protective Aura. Cardin laughed, not slowing his approach, forcing Leif to continue backing up. He was running out of options; his two female teammates had their hands full with Dove and Russel, meaning his only hope was Umbra. Which really wasn't a hope so much as a miracle that his partner would actually help him. That meant tricking him.

That thought gave Leif pause for a brief second. That right there showed just how dysfunctional his team was. He had to literally trick his partner into helping him because he wouldn't do it on his own. Yet there was no other way.

Leif's eyes narrowed as he watched Cardin's fast approach. Based on his previous attacks, he would aim for his feet, try to catch him with another Dust explosion from the crystal at the center of his mace. He needed to make him flinch then give chase. Stupid idea time.

Cardin might have planned for a lot of things but not for his prey to charge straight at him, sword raised high, and shouting. He recovered quickly and slammed his mace into the ground-exactly where Leif was hoping he would. Freezing his feet, he changed directions, twisting around the explosion and the guy who caused it. He heard Cardin swear behind him, footsteps indicating he was now giving chase. Now to just get him in Umbra's strike range and let his partner's boastful ego take care-the breath was knocked out of his body as he suddenly went flying.

* * *

**Seconds earlier…**

Dove was far more skilled than Luna had originally thought. Having guessed that he was on par with the rest of CRDL, the fact he was now accurately deflecting her arrows and Dust attacks, all while supporting Russel's attacks on Mura with gunfire, showed he had some serious talent. Nocking another arrow, she aimed this one instead at Russel, hoping to catch the dagger wielder in the unawares. A bullet knocking the arrow out of the air shot that plan down as well.

Frustrated, Luna turned her attention back to Dove only to be shocked as she saw him now charging at her. Despite her bow's tips being sharpened to a fine point, the Faunus knew she they were only designed for a last resort. She was just no good in a close quarter fight. Now was the time to run. Dashing through the arena, she looked frantically for options as bullets danced around her from her pursuer. This wasn't like during Initiation; there was nothing resembling a plan or teamwork, just haphazard solo improvisation. There was no chance they would win the fight like this.

"Luna, keep going right!" She heard her named suddenly called out by her partner over the din of battle. Looking over, she saw Mura eyeing up a firing line, her shields charging behind her back with her Dust vials. Russel laid in a crumpled heat, not out cold, but not getting up in a hurry. Thankful for the break, Luna kept running along the same path, before turning, firing several lighting Dust tipped arrows in an arc over Dove's head. The move surprised him, slowing him, but a smirk formed as he noticed they were going well over his head. He failed to realize the whole point was to make aiming at him far easier for Mura, whose shields were now primed and ready.

' _Maybe we'll get through this without making a_ _total-'_  Her thought was interrupted in horror as her eyes caught sight of Leif. More specifically Leif running away from Cardin. In a straight line behind where Dove was. Who had shown to be skilled enough to dodge and avoid ranged attacks.

Which Mura was doing right now.

"Mura wait!" Luna screamed, yet the cannon fire was already flying through the air. Dove quickly hit the deck, letting the shot pass harmlessly overhead, albeit by mere inches. It did not miss Leif however, sending LUMO's leader flying straight towards his partner.

Luna felt a scream become get trapped her throat as her eyes watched the finale of the horrible event that occurred.

* * *

A sickening crunch was heard as Umbra felt his right staff jerk back from something hitting it. Looking over his shoulder, while still keeping Sky pinned hard against the wall with his left staff, he saw to his unpleasant surprise Leif draped over the back half of his weapon. His partner's eyes bulged, still in shock at trying to figure out what just happened to him. Disgust that rivaled his current feeling of combat-induced euphoria filled him at the sight of his partner. How does one even wind up in this situation? How can one even hope to survive a day in the real world when they can't even save themselves in a mock battle? People like him were a burden, dead weight, nothing more.

Seeing out of the corner of his eye Cardin approaching from behind, albeit slowly while glancing up at the blonde teacher in the stands, Umbra knew he needed to finish this up quickly before he was trapped in between two opponents. No time to hesitate. He slammed his left staff into Sky's stomach, knocking the breath out of the long haired male even further, and used his momentum to twist around to face Cardin. As he twisted, he swung his right staff hard, flinging Leif into the wall next to Sky. Unconsciousness seemed immediate, which figured for someone weak like Leif, as his body shimmered briefly then returned to normal, indicating his Aura was out. Pathetic.

Some screams and shocked gasps were faintly heard as well as some female voice shouting loudly in his direction, but Umbra had already tuned out everything not important to fighting Cardin, who looked horrified now at the foe in front of him. Umbra smiled as he began to rush forward, twirling his staffs around. He felt the heat begin to build as the kinetic energy of the spins activated the Dust engrained on his weapon. Leaping forward, he grinded his right staff over the left in a downward stroke, sending a lance of fire straight at Cardin-only to have it glow purple and shatter into pieces.

Snarling, Umbra whipped his head around trying to figure out which fool had the audacity to interrupt his fight. His answer was a riding crop smacking him to the ground. Looking up in anger, Umbra found his answer in the form of Professor Goodwitch looking down at him with equal fury.

* * *

Darkness largely continued to fill his vision as Leif struggled to regain consciousness. He had been running from Cardin, but something hit him. Yet, Umbra's face was the last thing he saw before the black out. His body ached all over, in some ways far worse than during Initiation. Struggling to open his eyes, blurriness instantly filled his vision. Distant voices began to fill his ears, sounding as blurry as his vision, with two distinct conversations standing out from the rest.

"This fight is over Mr. Imaly! Stand down now!"

"Him and I are still standing, how on Remnant is it over?"

"This is why we should have had a plan; how were we suppose to win like this?"

"You were the one to run off while he was asking about a plan."

"No, I left when he was trying to order us around!"

"You can't honestly believe that's what-where are you going?"

The voices rang in and out of his ears, his brain trying to make sense of the words he was hearing. His pain suddenly increased as he felt his body lifted up then dropped down on something hard, followed by gentle flow of air running over his body as it was being moved. Yet the pain remained, and lacking the energy to fight it, Leif felt his mind succumb to the darkness trying to envelop it once more.


	17. In Review

**Beacon Infirmary, Vale**

Pain was again the first thing Leif felt upon waking from the darkness. This time, however, it was far less pain than he had experienced earlier, and to his great relief, soft sheets caressed his battered body. Testing his fingers and toes first, he determined nothing was broken, just really sore. Orange streaks of light in a darkened room were the first thing he saw upon opening his eyes. The colors of sunset.

"Ugh, how long was I out?" he wondered aloud.

"A few hours," a quiet voice responded, startling him. Luna sat to his right, looking physically fine, but her eyes told him that her mind was anything but. She had clearly been worried, and her being the only member of LUMO here with him spoke volumes to what was going on with the rest of team.

* _where am I '_ beep beep beep beep'  _what is that, ugh these lights are blinding_ "Sweetie, Leif! Can you hear me? It's okay you're safe now, you're-"* The memory his semblance played for him momentarily reminded him how eerily similar his current situation was to the Grimm attack he went through years ago. The side of his ribs suddenly ached in pain, just like every other time those memories reared their heads.

Leif scrunched his face up in concentration, pushing those memories aside. Reassuring Luna was more important than his own past pain. That was his job as team leader, even though he was failing at the job in every other way.

"Well glad I got to start my weekend early with a nice nap," he laughed, trying to sound as sincere as possible. To her credit, Luna's distressed face broke into a half smile at his obvious reassurance.

"Glad you enjoyed it," she answered, yet her half smile was already fading. This farce of acting like things were fine wasn't going to help either them. Leif sighed. Time to cut to the hard questions.

"So I take it Umbra and Mura aren't off getting me a 'Get Well Soon' basket, right?"

"No," Luna answered, her silver ears drooping to match her emotions, "Umbra got hauled off to Professor Goodwitch's office by the professor herself, and Mura, well…"

"What? How come?" Leif cut in confused, shocked that one of his teammates, his partner to boot, had possibly landed himself in a world of trouble. Umbra wasn't a team player, but he wasn't a delinquent, at least not to Leif. Luna seemed a bit surprised at Leif's questioning stance.

"For being way too aggressive?" she answered, eye brow raised. "You weren't the only one he sent to the infirmary. Sky was in here too until an hour ago." A pit formed in the Vale boy's stomach. He honestly couldn't put it pass Umbra based on what little he knew about his partner. While making a mental note to apologize to Sky later, his brain clicked as his subconscious picked up on something.

"Wait, what exactly do you mean by 'you weren't the only one'…?" he asked, voice trailing off as his brain began to supply his own answer. Luna looked away, confirming his fears.

"Luna…." he begged. Silence continued for another minute until her small shoulders fell in resignation.

"He was the one who put you in the wall," she answered quietly, "although it was Mura's cannon fire that drained your aura to critically low levels." Memories started to flash as his mind struggled to recall the chain of events. He remembered being knocked into the air by something before seeing Umbra, which must have been the gunfire Luna was talking about. Everything was still blurry, although in time his semblance would piece it together with perfect clarity to haunt him in the future.

"I assume the review video is up for team leaders?"

"Leif, you should rest-"

"Luna, I need to see this. So I can maybe learn from it for the future," Leif pleaded. The wolf girl wasn't wrong, rest was probably the best option for him, but he couldn't just set this aside, not without seeing what happened. Luna opened her mouth, likely to argue before sighing and grabbing his scroll from the bedside table. A few clicks later and a video recording appeared on screen. These were made available to the team leads so they could study and adjust their training. How he could adjust his team from this was beyond his comprehension.

Audio of the fight filled the quiet infirmary, sounds of battle crackling from the tiny speakers. Crimson red embarrassment flooded his cheeks as Umbra and Mura ignored him and took off on their own. The battle proceeded pretty much as he remembered it until it got towards the final minute. He watched as his path took him straight into Mura's unannounced cannon fire, wincing as the projectiles launched him straight back towards Umbra. His ribs flared in pain as he watched his shocked form get clothes lined on Umbra's staff.

He flinched in horror as his partner proceeded to slam him into the arena wall without a second thought. Just before the video cut out, he saw Luna and Mura arguing while Professor Goodwitch reprimanded Umbra, who looked anything but regretful. Leif let his head sink back into the pillow, trying to take in the total breakdown of coordination and lack of team work he just witnessed. Utter failure was the only way to describe it. His head lifted back up suddenly, remembering something.

"Wait, sorry I cut you off earlier, where is Murasaki exactly?" This time Luna really did turn all the way around away from him. Leif heard her take a few deep breathes before turning back, her petite face scrunched up with nervousness.

"Please don't get mad."

"When have I ever gotten mad?"

"You might right now," she cautioned with a sad tone. "After the match, she stormed off, saying she was…she was going to go see Professor Ozpin about removing you from team leader." Shock went through his body, not because of what Mura was doing, but because he had expected her to do this far earlier in the week. He just thought her attitude up until now was because of Ozpin's answer to her.

"He won't listen to her," Leif quietly stated.

"What makes you so sure?"

"Because when I requested to be removed as team leader the day after Initiation, he didn't listen to me."

* * *

**Ozpin's Office, Beacon Academy**

The ticking gears of the tower were certainly enough to cause anxiety in even the most patient people. Therefore, their effect on Mura, who was already an impatient person, was even greater. She had been stuck waiting up here for Ozpin for over half an hour, after being forced to wait several hours for him to even approve a meeting. Maybe he was hoping her feeling would cool if she was forced to wait. If that was the case, he was in for a shock.

A ding from behind her indicate the wait was over.

"Sorry to keep you waiting Miss Zenith," a calm voice apologized as the pneumatic whoosh from the elevators doors sounded. "The talk with your teammate Mr. Imaly and Professor Goodwitch took longer than I expected. I hope you weren't waiting here too long."

"Not long at all Professor," she lied as he walked over to his desk, taking a seat opposite of her. Despite feeling otherwise, being feisty now wouldn't get her far.

"Well that is good to hear. Now what seems to be the problem?" Ozpin asked, leaning his cane against the wall.

"Leif Circinus should not be leader of Team LUMO," Mura stated without hesitation. This conversation should have happened days ago, maybe then none of the earlier issues would have happened. Ozpin's eyebrows raised above his spectacles.

"And why do you think that?" he asked, voice still steady and calm.

"He's too inexperienced! He doesn't have any real training, he lacks any of the experience the rest of us have, yet ever since you made him leader, he acts like he's the top student in the class!"

"So you believe I made a mistake in appointing him as leader?" Ozpin questioned, his green eyes narrowing. Mura's voice got caught in her throat. She was coming off too hot headed.

"I didn't mean it like that, I apologize Professor. I just believe it's gone to his head, made him think he knows what's best for all of us."

"And only you know what's best for you, is that correct Miss Zenith?"

"I, uh, I mean yeah, I think I would…" Mura answered, trailing off, not sure where the headmaster was going with this.

"So tell me, if not him, then who should be leader of LUMO? Mister Imaly or Miss Okirikiri? Or are you saying it should be you who leads the team?"

"I'm not trying to take his job, if that's what you're asking. Either of the other two would be fine as leader, better than Leif anyways."

"And you would have no issue taking orders from either Mister Imaly or Miss Zenith?"

"What? I mean yeah I'd listen to them, provided it made sense and you know, they'd ask my input-"

"And if they didn't? If they came up with a plan without consulting you or gave you a task you didn't agree with?"

"Well I mean, that would be pretty ignorant of them-"

"So the issue isn't so much who is in charge, it's the fact they are in charge of  _you_." Ozpin calmly stated. Mura found herself speechless. She didn't have an issue with people in charge of her, as long as they were actually good at it, unlike Leif…. right? Doubt began to set into her mind. This wasn't how she envisioned the conversation going.

"Miss Zenith, I suspect that even if I did change who was leader of LUMO, you would take issue with them unless you were leader yourself." Ozpin continued, not waiting for Mura to respond, "And while I do believe you when you say this isn't an attempt to become leader yourself, I do think you aren't recognizing what the real problem is here."

"Then what do you think the 'problem' is exactly?" Mura asked, more hostile than she intended. She didn't care at this point; anger was already filling her.

"Your problem is that you don't trust anyone to truly want to help you."

Of all the answers she was expecting, that wasn't one of them. She wasn't even sure what that meant.

"I don't trust people to help me?" she questioned, restating his answer.

"That is correct, and I suspect this has been an issue for many years now, otherwise it wouldn't be so distinct."

"I don't have a problem trusting people-"

"Maybe not with minor things, but when it comes to decision making, you clearly take it very seriously," Ozpin interjected, tapping a few keys on his desk. A video file to appear on the table top in front of her. Mura peered at it to see it was from the skirmish earlier that day, moments before the fight started.

"Alright guys, so we need to have a plan here-" Leif's voice was heard, even across the distance from the arena to the camera in the stands.

"Take them down. That's the plan," Umbra's deep voice rumbled.

"That's the goal, not a plan-"

"Don't get beat while beating them down, is that better for you? Or do you think you know better?" Mura heard her own voice sound. Cleary it was her talking, but the tone…it almost sounded foreign to her.

"I'm just-" A loud buzzer signaled the start of the match.

"Look let's try to stick to-Umbra! Alright, well Mura, cover him while-"

"Cover him yourself, I know what to do!" A frown crept across her face as she saw Leif's pained expression at her defiance. Ozpin closed the file before the fight really got started, and looked at the Atlesian girl with a skeptical look.

"Does that sound like a tyrannical dictator trying to control you, or a poor inexperienced-yet-learning leader trying to get help from the people he knows know better?"

"You don't understand," Mura mumbled, but a tiny part of her started to think that she was the one not understanding.

"Maybe I don't," Ozpin admitted to Mura's surprise, "but from my position, I see a girl projecting her fears from the issues she left behind onto a poor boy who knows nothing about her." That statement alone sent chills down her spine. There was no way Ozpin could have known about her mother, how she tried to control every aspect of her daughter's life, how she ran away to Beacon to escape her. Yet that statement seemed to indicate this old man knew far more about her than she realized.

"But what about-"

"As for your original request, just as I told Mister Circinus the day following Initiation, I will not be changing my assigned leader for Team LUMO." Again Mura found herself speechless. Leif had tried to get himself replaced already?

' _But that would mean…'_ her mind clouded with turmoil at the implications of that.

"It seems I've given you plenty to think about Miss Zenith," Ozpin finally continued, filling the silence she refused to end. "So I suggest you think on this, reevaluate how you act towards each individual, rather than treat everyone the same. Just because one person in your life left such a bad impression doesn't mean they all will. So take some time this weekend, and if you need to talk again, my door is open. But I do believe there are some others who should be talked to first." With that he motioned to the elevator door as she rose from her seat, knowing the meeting was over. She mumbled her thanks before entering the small room that would take her back down.

When she had come up this elevator, her mind was full of rage and frustration. Now on the way back down, the rage was reduced to anger and frustration remained, but was joined by confusion and doubt. She just didn't want to be told what to do anymore, what was so hard to understand about that? She knew what was best for her, she was practically an adult, yet no one seemed to think so, not since Dad died. Coming here to Beacon was supposed to let Mura take back control of her life, not just sign it away to some stranger.

'- _projecting her fears from the issues she left behind onto a poor boy who knows nothing_ _about her.'_ Pain shot through her fist as she pounded the descending elevator's walls. Ozpin's words echoed in her mind still, unnerving her. He wasn't wrong; Leif knew nothing of Mura's past, no one in LUMO did. Yet that was entirely on her, as revealing too much could risk her mother or Atlas military police figuring out where she went. It was the right call. Yet the gnawing guilt in the back of her mind said otherwise.

In her stupor, she didn't even notice the lone figure sitting beside the elevator door as she exited in the lobby lost in thought. Not until said figure tapped her shoulder, startling her.

"Hey, you okay? Mura?" It was Luna, looking tired but concerned.

"Oh hey, yeah I'm fine, just tired is all…" She answered, trying to sound as collected as possible. One look at the Faunus's face was enough to know she was unconvinced.

"How did that talk with Professor Ozpin go?" Luna asked. Mura noted the carefully guarded tone in her voice. Prior to her storming off following the fight, she had argued quite brashly with her partner about Leif not being in charge. At the time, she had just thought Luna was being too nice to call Leif out on his bullshit, but after that discomforting talk with Ozpin…she wasn't so sure.

"It went, um well, yeah," Mura answered, trying to keep her tone from sounding as unconfident as she was.

"Okay, but is he going to change the leader or…."

"No, no he's not." She said flatly, trying to keep from showing too much emotion. She wasn't sure how Luna would react.

"Leif said as much," Luna merely replied, surprising Mura. She had only just found out about Leif's meeting with Ozpin; had Luna known about it all this time? Did her and Leif have meetings behind her back? Did Umbra-

"He mentioned it after he woke up, after I told him where you went," Luna continued, unknowingly easing Mura's panic. "I take it Professor Ozpin told you too?"

"Yeah…why do you think Leif never told us until now?"

"No clue," Luna shrugged. "Maybe because he knew it wouldn't change anything? He seems like the type who normally doesn't give up at a challenge. Probably didn't want us to think he was a quitter."

"Maybe yeah…" Silence settled in the darkened lobby, both girls unsure what to say or do. The growing awkwardness, unsettling her more and more, forced Mura to start walking without a word. A few seconds later, footsteps behind her signaled that Luna was joining her. The hallways were abandoned apart from the partners, with most students with their teams at dinner, instead of wandering separately around Beacon. The lack of individual students away from their teams made LUMO's dysfunctional nature more stark in Mura's mind. Yet while she was so sure of the cause early as an hour ago, that one meeting with the grey haired headmaster took away any certainty she had. Sunlight flickering over the horizon as the sun set caught her eye through the corridor windows, bringing her to a stop. It was hard to ignore the majesty of the sunset, even with all that was going on.

"Hey Mura, can I ask you something?" Luna quietly spoke, breaking the silence between them. Her pale face looked nervous as all get out, but her yellow eyes showed resolve.

"Of course, you're my partner after all," she answered, turning to face her. Despite her affirmative answer, her heart twitched nervously for reasons beyond understanding. Luna supposedly was to be someone she could trust; someone she could rely on. Yet growing up an only child and the dealing with a mother who ruined any sort of trust between family put her heart on guard even now.

"Why do you hate Leif so much?"

"I-well…I mean I don't hate him…"

"Then why do you argue with him all the time? I mean I know he's inexperienced, but aren't we all?"

"Well yeah! Which is why it pisses me off so much when he orders us around, acting like he knows what to do!"

"Except he doesn't act like that. At all." Luna firmly rebuffed, catching Mura off guard. When she didn't immediately respond, Luna continued.

"He constantly asks us questions, tries to get our opinions, but you just seem to brush him off, putting down any attempt he makes to get us to act like a real team."

"Me? What about Umbra? He's the one who put him in the infirmary after intentionally slamming him into the wall," Mura countered, struggling to keep her volume in check.

"After you blasted him across the arena," her partner corrected, "and at least Umbra's consistent. He hates all of us equally. But you just seem to take issue with Leif, and even then, it's only when he tries to do the job he was given." Mura's position was crumbling around her the more her partner spoke. Luna just didn't understand; she didn't know what Mura's life was like before coming here. Yet that was no one's fault but her own for keeping it a secret.

"So what, I'm just supposed to meekly fall in line and do whatever he says? You just want me to lie down and-"

"No Mura, look, I'm on your side here," Luna interrupted, her tone lessening to more of a pleading sound, "I just want us to all get along-"

"And we will if he just lets me handle me. I can handle myself just fine." Mura interrupted back. What was so hard to understand about this?

"No one is saying you can't." Luna answered softly, increasing the guilt in Mura for being so confrontational. "But we are a team now, and Leif is the leader, so shouldn't-"

"You just don't understand," Mura quietly said without thinking. All of this wasn't fair. Escaping her mother to be subjected to Leif. To gain her freedom only to lose it. Nothing had been fair since her dad unfairly leapt from the falls, leaving her alone as her mother became more and more unmotherly to 'protect' her. Sadness. Anger. Doubt. Confusion. Pain. All of it raged through her mind.

"Then help me under-Mura wait come…" Luna's words faded from earshot as Mura numbly walked past her partner down the corridor. The Faunus didn't understand, none of them did. She may be at Beacon, far from Stillfalls in Atlas, but now more than ever did it feel like nothing changed at all.


	18. Unknown Understanding

**Hallways of Beacon, Vale**

' _You just don't_ _understand'_ Her partner's last words continued to ring through her mind as Luna wandered aimlessly through the school's empty hallways. There was no desire to return to their dorm room just yet, even though it was likely empty with LUMO in such disarray. Honestly, she didn't quite know what she had a desire to do. Everything just seemed so…depressing. Her worst fears during the trip to Beacon had been all based around her semblance causing issues. Yet now a week later and none of her teammates, not even her own partner had even a hint of what her semblance even was, much less anything about her past. None of them knew really anything about each other.

' _Which is probably why we're so dysfunctional'_ Luna sadly pondered. LUMO was filled with more questions than answers. Leif and Mura knew she was from Mistral, and everyone knew Leif was a local, but the origins of Mura and Umbra were still shrouded in mystery. In fact, pretty much everything about the giant dark skinned teen was a mystery since he flat out refused to even hold basic conversations. Yet Murasaki was Luna's partner, and the earlier conversation hit home just how little Luna really did know about her. Basics things she knew, sure, like what kinds of food Mura liked, interests and stuff, but apart from the fact that she wasn't a local, Luna knew nothing.

Luna slowed to a halt as a thought occurred to her. Thinking more now, it wasn't that she wasn't understanding her partner, it was more that Mura seemed to be actively avoid talking about her origins. Conversations with Leif about parents led to Mura deflecting to homework, talk of friends back home led to jokes about random stuff. Luna didn't even notice until now, feeling foolish at just now noticing something that was so apparent in hindsight.

She glanced out at the darkened landscape through the window, trying to ignore the miserable feeling throughout her mind. The clouds obscured much of the lights above, letting darkness swallow up much of the outdoor scenery that was not safe under the street lamps that dotted the pathways. From her view point she could barely make out what lay between these small havens of lights, the four lamp posts spread far apart. Long ago, her father once said the world has a way of becoming a mirror to one's life. Young Luna failed to grasp those words, but now older Luna started to see what he meant.

Suddenly the grounds were basked in a pale silver light. Her eyes drawn upwards, she saw the clouds break, letting the shattered moon shine down from above. Not even five seconds had passed before she felt energy being sapped from her body. With a visual shatter, the light from the moon fractured before reforming to show her face painted on the shattered moon, parts of it missing where the moon was in fragments, yet still looking back at her. No different than any other time, yet she could barely find the strength to look away. She was just too tired from it all. The fighting, the secrets, the mistrust. Only the cause made this different from back home.

A shadow flickering across her reflection became the second difference from back home. Were the clouds moving back across the pale orb? No, this was different. The shadows curled and trailed around her pale face, slowly as though it was testing the waters. Suddenly, they lurched forward, engulfing her entire reflection without warning. Her own yellow eye on the intact half of the moon shimmered, being replaced by another as the shadows moved, causing her to recoil back in horror at this all new reflection- taking a step back straight into the chest of someone who was standing behind her.

Whipping her head around in panic, Luna was shocked to see Umbra's orange eyes looking down at her, looking just as surprised as her.

* * *

**Minutes earlier…**

He was positive he could break down the shut library door in front of him, especially given his current rage. However, that would almost certainly get him another earful or worse from that blonde witch of a teacher. More lectures and attention was the last thing Umbra needed right now. Just recalling the speech given to him made his blood boil. While he knew many so-called warriors in world were hardly made of tough stuff, the fact that he was at a combat school and told to show restraint was infuriating. No real enemy would show restraint; they would just gut the fool who did. He had even been held responsible for what happened to his weakling partner! How was it not his partner's fault for what happened since he was so incompetent?

Slamming his fist on the shut doors, Umbra forced himself to calm down. All the more reason to finish this mission; the sooner it was complete; the sooner he could leave this wretched place. The next two days were empty of classes, meaning he could focus his time in the library looking for more information on the legend. Considering how little information he had to begin with, he would need every bit of that time.

With nothing left to do, Umbra began wandering aimlessly throughout the school. Despite the fight earlier, he felt no fatigue thanks to years of training in the wilds of Vacuo. Yet unlike back home, there wasn't much to do between classes and meals. Most people would spend this time with others he suspected, but hanging around soft untested students wasn't particularly high on Umbra's to-do list. Then again, even back home socializing wasn't something most sought out. If one had time to chat, then one had time to train.

' _The training room it is then'_  Umbra decided. At least there he could hit something without being lectured. As he rounded the next corner however, he came to a sudden halt as he saw a most peculiar sight. Staring out the window, unmoving, was an all too familiar looking wolf Faunus. His first instinct was to double back before Luna caught sight of him but against his better judgment, he held his ground. Out of his three teammates, Luna was the only one Umbra had the stomach to be near. Whereas Murasaki constantly cracked jokes while being stubborn to a fault and his own partner's entire existence infuriated him, the she-wolf was practically invisible. Quiet, kept to herself, honestly his only regret since arriving at Beacon was not getting to her before the purple haired jokester did during Initiation. In fact, apart from Initiation, the two had yet to even have a real conversation, not that that upset Umbra.

Umbra continued observing Luna, who apparently had yet to even notice the Skugga warrior watching her. Minutes ticked by, before Umbra felt himself snap out of whatever trance he had fallen into. Whatever she was doing was of no concern to him. Yet as he turned to leave, a silver light glimmered into sight. His eyes widened as the Faunus girl was bathed in grey moonlight, the night time clouds breaking above. Luna's head tilted upwards suddenly, staring at something intently. The sudden change in focus unnerved Umbra, not sure of what was happening in front of him. What the hell was she staring at?

Against his natural instincts telling him to back away, Umbra found his legs moving forward slowly. This girl was different than everyone he had encountered here at Beacon, failing to be like the others he had dismissed as annoyances up to know. It was almost infuriating at how different she was; no, it was almost infuriating at how he couldn't just ignore her like the rest. He now found himself standing directly behind Luna, with only a few feet between them. Following the tilt of her head, Umbra felt his eyes hit with light.

The moon. She was staring at the glowing half shattered orb above.

Before he could react, the young girl suddenly took a few steps back, bumping into his chest. Whirling her head around in surprise, Umbra felt a cold shiver run down his spine as their eyes met; while her body was still, those yellow eyes had a slight quiver before steadying. Had his sudden appearance frightened her? No, they steadied after seeing him. Something else had caused this reaction in her. But it did inspire a better question in his mind.

Why did he care? Not a single good answer came to mind other than mere curiosity. The urge to go far far away grew overwhelming. He didn't have time to waste standing here-

"Why did you do it?" A small voice asked. Ten seconds went by before Umbra's brain stuttered back into gear. For some reason, he had expected the silence between them to go uninterrupted.

"Why did I do what?" he cautiously asked. Instincts were clicking again, muscles tightening up defensively, despite this battle clearly being fought with words.

"Why did you do that to Leif?" Luna questioned quietly. Umbra was taken aback, not expecting her to be questioning him about some insignificant fight. While his brain composed an answer, he did double take at the wolf girl in front of him. Her body looked as tense as his; this moment wasn't planned by any means, yet the quivering from earlier being absent indicated this was unrelated to whatever it was that freaked her out.

"He was in my way." Umbra answered flatly.

"So you pounded him into the wall so hard that he needed to be sent to infirmary?" Luna exasperated. Her tone surprised him. She was actually upset over this.

"Any real warrior wouldn't have fallen so easily," Umbra retorted, recovering quickly.

"Any real warrior wouldn't be at this school for aspiring kids who want to be warriors" Luna shot back, her silver ears stiffening. His hand suddenly clenched into a fist, involuntary reaction to the sight of the Faunus's ears. Any time he had seen that happen back home, it almost always meant a fight was about to break out. Why did she even care? It wasn't like she was the one stuck with Leif as a partner.

"So what's your point?" he carefully asked, while noting their surroundings. Neither of them were armed and since he was fairly confident that Luna lacked any hand to hand combat skills, the advantage would certainly go to him. The various swaths of darkness around them also guaranteed his semblance would have more than enough shadows to make use of. Based on all that, there was no way Luna could beat him, not unarmed with just her semblance.

Her semblance. Umbra just now realized he actually had no idea what this girl's semblance was. Clearly her Aura was unlocked, her control of raw Dust to make arrows proved that. Yet he couldn't actually recall ever seeing her doing anything that remotely resembled a semblance during Initiation or during any of the classes during their first week. Given her semblance was an unknown, he would have to-

"You-you need to apologize to him." Luna stated, albeit nervously as the stammering gave away. Despite that, the blunt statement struck Umbra dumbfounded. Apologize. To Leif.

"For what exactly?" Umbra growled, causing Luna to take a step back, unease appearing in her eyes.

"For slamming him into wall, obviously"

"He was in my way!"

"On accident! He got shot half way across the arena by Murasaki's cannon fire!"

"Oh and what, I suppose the she-clown apologized for that?"

"She-I mean, no not exactly…"

"And yet I'm supposed to humiliate myself by apologizing to that failure when it was her fault to begin with." Umbra snorted. Luna was no longer looking at him, her eyes cast downward at the stone floor. This whole conversation, this school, this team, everyone here was a joke, and the punchline wasn't funny. Shaking his head in contempt, Umbra turned to leave. He managed to get about four steps in before her voice reached his ears again.

"It's all our faults," Luna quietly said, so quiet that Umbra wasn't even sure if it wasn't aimed at him. "Four failures who can't even talk to each other. Team FOOL."

For the first time, Umbra found himself agreeing with someone here. Given the other three members of the team, FOOL was far more accurate a name than LUMO.


	19. The Cycle of Tides

**Shoreline of Vale, Kingdom of Vale**

Cawing above from the seabirds flying high. Gentle crashes from behind as waves rolled upon the shore. Smells of salt in the ocean spray. Distant horns of the ships coming and going. Chilling water flowing all around. All of these familiar sights and sounds brought a sense of calm Leif hadn't felt all week. Almost seemed like a lifetime ago, in fact, given all that had occurred. Yet here, paddling out to sea on his board, he could, at least for the moment, forget about it all. Being team leader, his teammates, his partner, none of that mattered out here. Just him and his board, and whatever surf nature cared to throw his way.

Leif had been lucky in more ways than one when he set out from Beacon before dawn broke the horizon. One small upside of being stuck in the infirmary was that he didn't have to worry about waking his team. Not that he expected any of them would have cared, well perhaps except for Luna, but just being able to avoid all of them for once was a lucky break. Thankfully his luck didn't seem to end as after a quick boat ride down the river running through Vale, he found his house empty. While seeing his parents may have been nice, Leif honestly was relieved; the conversation that would have ensued would either be him avoiding the realities of school or a really awkward truth telling session.

His timing however had been perfect, with both his parents out on their fishing boat like most others of their occupation. Ten minutes later, here he was, board in hand and wetsuit on snuggly. Just needed to be back before dark to avoid them, and the potential depressing conversation, entirely. Rarely had Leif ever hid things from his parents before, and yet here he was feeling legitimately happy that he didn't have to see them. All because it meant avoiding having to explain just how bad he was failing at Beacon.

' _Or rather, failing at being a leader_ ' He corrected himself, as he pushed off the board into a sitting stance. There may have been only one week of grades on the books, but so far he had failed to produce anything below an A. All those years of studying in school, reading books in his downtime, listening to stories from his grandpa and travelers at the docks; it all was making itself incredibly useful in academic courses. Although knowledge only was getting the teenager so far; his grades in all things combat and aura were quite the opposite.

He could only imagine what they would be after yesterday's debacle, his ribs aching again in remembrance of the defeat. Trying to shake off those memories before his semblance would make him relieve it, Leif turned his attention out to sea. The morning fog still rolled across the water, causing the distant fishing boats and cargo ships to vanish and reappear as they cruised. While waves were rolling gently, the conditions weren't quite right for good surf. That suited Leif just fine however, he was just happy to be in place of comfort and solitude.

Many times growing up had Leif taken his board and just paddled off shore to relax and contemplate. Sometimes it was to think about solutions to a problem, other times to take a break from the problem altogether. Out here, all other facets of life just seemed to fade away-

"Only took you a week before coming back out here huh?"

Or they would fade away if it wasn't for the occasional soul who also came out to sea during these conditions. Leif humorously sighed as he turned his board towards the voice behind him. Paddling forwards was a male his age, with hair as blue as the deepest parts of the sea, his face a very familiar sight.

"You know me Azul, a water rat since birth, a water rat till death," Leif called back to him, causing his childhood friend to laugh. Azul Chartes had been friends with Leif for as long as he could remember, their fathers' occupations linking the two families. Azul's father worked a small time smithy, providing fishing lines, hooks, boating parts, and just about anything else people like his own dad needed to work. It didn't take long for a friendship to form between the two boys, who spent time surfing, exploring the portside of Vale, just being carefree kids at their core. Only recently had the two been separated for a decent amount of time, due to Leif's decision to attend Beacon.

*"You? A huntsman? That's rich!"  _laughter laughter and more laughter, not sure what I expected_ * His semblance replayed their last conversation in his eyes before he shoved it to the side. Azul had every right to be skeptical and Leif had no room to argue. His decision to be a huntsman was not exactly thought out well after all.

"Surprised you actually managed to escape to sea? What, do the Grimm let you all have days off to hit the surf?" Azul continued to joke as he pulled his board alongside Leif's.

"No, just was looking to get some 'me' time is all. Of course your fat mouth just killed my vibe," Leif joked back, causing Azul to chuckle. A normal conversation. No stress. No expectations. No pressure. Leif had almost forgotten what that was like.

"But in all seriousness, how is it, at Beacon?" Azul asked as their laughter died away. While expected, that question still gave Leif pause.

"It's different, that's for sure. Definitely more interesting than middle school at Lantern," Leif carefully answered.

"Well that's an understatement if I ever heard one," Azul scoffed. "Details man! Learn any sick combos yet? Do you have to take those stupid math courses still? And if you had to rate your fellow female huntresses on a scale of one to-"

"You haven't changed at all," Leif laughed, cutting off the teen's absurd questions. Azul wasn't having it.

"Of course not, it's only been a week, quit deflecting! We'll come back to girls later, but are the teachers awesome? What's the homework like? Good meals? Have you fought any Grimm yet…?" Azul's excited voice suddenly dyed down. Regret played out in his eyes as he involuntarily glanced towards Leif's rib cage. Had the black wetsuit not been there, a straight line could be drawn straight from his eyes to the scars from eight years ago. There was no doubt that Azul was recalling that exact incident.

"Um yeah actually, had to my second day there!" Leif quickly answered to ease the awkwardness, "I even killed a few." He heard a few iotas of pride in his tone, but didn't try to downplay it. With any luck, it would keep Azul amazed and focused on that rather than asking-

"Wow no joke? That's badass dude! I'm sure that impressed people," Azul exclaimed, lightly punching Leif's arm."Speaking of people, aren't you supposed to have like a team or something?" It seems like all his avoiding-talking-about-his-team luck was used up sneaking around this morning then.

"Uh-yeah a team, yep have one of those, me and three first years." Azul's eyes narrowed at his answer, or rather, his weak tone. Leif sighed inwardly. This was the exact conversation he was hoping to avoid with his parents. Now for the depressing conver-

"Hey…." Azul asked warily leaning towards him. Here it comes.

"You're not replacing me are you?"

One blink. Two blinks. His eyes just stared at Azul, who stared back.

"Wh-what?"

"I mean I get it," Azul continued, leaning back, "You're a big bad huntsman now, with no time for a smithing boy like me. Sure your new team is much more your fit now, killing Grimm, being heroes. Nah it's cool I understand." The Vale surfer sat upright, crossing his arms indignantly. There was a brief silence before Leif found himself bursting with laughter at the irony of what was said. Azul held his pose for a few more seconds before breaking into a fit of giggles as well. For a time, only the laughter of friends could be heard on the bay.

"But in all seriousness, something's up. Mind filling me in?" Azul asked, after their laughter finally died down. Leif took a few deep breaths to steady himself, glancing out towards the horizon. As he thought, Azul noticed right away something was wrong. Two people aren't friends since age six without learning each other's subtle tells.

"Just growing pains is all. I mean, throw four people on a team and have them live together from day one, there are bound to be issues." Leif answered in a roundabout way.

"Cut the fishshit," Azul retorted flatly. "Growing pains wouldn't have had you out here so early, not to mention avoiding your parents."

"How did you-?"  
"Our parents did dinner Friday night. They seemed proud of you, but I overheard them saying that you hadn't been saying much since you left. Now I find you here, alone, with a board from their house and your clothes on the beach, meaning you didn't want to leave any chance of them knowing you were there. I may not get your kind of grades, but I ain't dumb Leif." Dumb was definitely not a word Leif would ever associate with Azul. Essay-challenged maybe, but not dumb. No way out of this one. He sighed

"Promise not tell my parents I was here?"

"Only if you explain what's going on." With a deal struck, Leif spent the next half hour explain the short hand version of everything that had happened since he left for Beacon. Azul listened attentively, only interrupting to ask a question here or there. The sun was almost half between the horizon and its zenith above when Leif's tale came to a close. While not feeling much better, he somewhat glad it was Azul he was talking to and not his parents.

"So let me get this straight," Azul finally spoke after thinking for a few minutes, "you're stuck in a leadership position you didn't want with a team who doesn't want you as leader and a partner who thinks so little of you that he literally put you in the hospital?"

"Yeah, thanks for summing it up so cheerfully," Leif despondently replied.

"No problem. But the thing I'm stuck on is that your solution was to…just come out on your board away from it all?"

"Yeah I needed a break, is that so bad?"

"No it's just…doesn't this give you any sense of déjà vu? Like at all?"

"I'm pretty sure I would remember if this had happened to me in the past"

"Not this exact thing smartass, I meant avoiding the problem." Azul's tone was completely serious now, causing Leif to really think about what he had said. Where was his friend going with this?

"Remember after your attack? For over a year, you wouldn't even come near the ocean, much less take a board out, no matter how many people were there. You would just stay in your room reading, or wander the innards of the Vale, but if me or any of our friends wanted to go to beach, you would just vanish."

* _"_ Come on Leif, the surf looks amazing today!"- _nononononononononono "_ Wait Leif come back-" _*_ Leif shuddered as another memory got replayed from long ago. Unlike other memories though, this had a blank in the middle of it, indicating his semblance had triggered, replaying a different memory at the time. While normally when this happened, Leif couldn't tell what memory he was viewing, he didn't need to guess with this one. It was the same memory that always haunted him, the only that left him with a permanent scar.

"What does that have to do with this?"

"I swear sometimes you're so dense that surfboard shouldn't be able to hold you up," Azul muttered just loud enough to be heard. "You kept avoiding the problem. But you never got through it until I dragged you back to confront it, sometimes literally dragging you to the shoreline."

"That's different-"

"Yeah, different in the sense that this time, I can't drag you to face your team. But do you really think avoiding them is going just make things somehow work over time?"

"Look Azul, I didn't want to be team leader, okay? And they sure as hell don't want me-"

"And you didn't want to be attacked by that Grimm, but it happened! Sometimes shit happens Leif! Like my best friend is just suddenly off to huntsman school, leaving me behind! I couldn't control it but hey that's life now!" Speechlessness filled his mind. Azul brow furrowed and relaxed back and forth; a tell-tale sign that the boy was legitimately upset.

"Az, I'm sorry okay, I-"

"Look don't worry about it. That came off worse than I meant it, cause it's not like you didn't tell me ahead of time. I just didn't really accept it till you were gone." Both boys' expressions were reflections of the other's. Regret, yet sympathy. Ten years of friendship in action.

"All I'm saying is, just like with the Grimm attack, stuff happens beyond our control. But you ran away from the things you loved, the friends you had for over a year before you finally confronted the fear. Now here you are, training to fight Grimm like the one who attacked you, just like it never happened. And you didn't get this far because you avoided the problem you know."

"Yeah I got this far because I had good friends and a best friend like you. What, am I supposed to bring you to Beacon with me so you can charm my teammates into attempting to work with me?" Leif sarcastically suggested. Azul didn't chuckle like he expected however, instead taking his turn to look off to the horizon.

"As tempting as that idea is, might not work seeing as I'm leaving the kingdom tonight." In a karmic sense, Leif knew he deserved that for waiting till the day before he left for Beacon to tell Azul. Now he knew how his friend felt.

"Wait wait, you're leaving?"

"Yeah, just me, not the folks. Remember that smith apprenticeship I was fighting for, the one with Master Willow, the weapon smith? Well, I got it."

"That's great!" Leif said, clapping his friend on the back. Master Willow was a well-known weapon smith in Vale, having done contracts for the military to individual pieces for huntsman and huntresses. Nick El-Mai's wingblades on Team OBDN was a Willow creation as were some other students' weapons at Beacon. "But his forge is here in Vale, isn't it? Why do you have to leave?"

"New contract. Vacuo Council just commissioned him to upgrade their small arms, even paying a hefty bonus for him to come work in their kingdom rather than risk shipping the products by freight, you know, with all the White Fang and Grimm attacks. Said he saw a lot potential in me, but I'd to come with him if I wanted the spot. So as much as I love Vale…"

"It was a no brainer," Leif finished. "Hey congrats man, knew you'd get the position, even if it does take you far from here."

"Thanks Leif, means a lot. With what I can learn from him, my dad can finally retire and enjoy life instead of trying to keep all my siblings fed," Azul said with a smile, before bringing his gaze back to Leif. "Hey I'm glad I actually got to see you before leaving, rather than some cheesy ass Scroll call."

"Me too. We'll keep in touch; Remnant isn't so big when we have the CCT system to use."

"True dat," Azul replied, holding out his fist "Besides, how else am I going to check in on you, make sure you're not avoiding your team?"

"Oh I'm sure you'll find a way," Leif laughed, pounding his fist against Azul's. He may have to return to Beacon tonight, face his team once again. But just like years ago, his best friend still wasn't wrong. If Leif was going to get through this, it would be facing the problem head on. No matter how much trouble and pain it might cause him, no matter how uncertain of how things will turn out, no matter how unsure he was of where to go from here, none of it would matter if he didn't keep trying. Because like it or not, he was made LUMO's leader.

It was just time for him to accept it.


	20. Finding a Start

**LUMO Dorm Room, Beacon Academy**

A creak in mattress was heard as Luna exited their dorm's washroom, towel ruffling her hair as she finished drying it. She glanced over to see her partner's back facing her from her bed, despite clearly studying before her shower. Despite her attempt, the fact she was still in her causal wear was a dead give away she wasn't planning to sleep yet, unlike Luna's current sleepwear. No different from Mura's behavior all day. Ever since their depressing conversation the night before, Mura had been ignoring Luna completely with an intensity that even Umbra might be impressed by. Him doing it was bad enough, but the fact she was her partner made it even more miserable. Even Leif wasn't around; the infirmary being empty when she went to go check on him this morning.

' _And here I thought my semblance would be the cause of any divide in the team_ ' the wolf girl thought miserably, glancing out the window as she threw the towel in the laundry basket by bathroom door. The floor filled her view as she flinched away from the silver light that began to creep through the clouds. A sort of guilty pleasure knotted in her stomach; it sickened her that she felt any sort of happiness that her semblance wasn't a factor of their dysfunction. Yet, still the sick satisfaction remained.

"So I'm guessing you still don't want to talk?" She mumbled to her still back turned partner. Although clearly not asleep, Mura seemed to determined to play the part. Luna sighed and headed towards the door. Being in here with her was just to painful right now.

Not a sound was heard from within the room as the door shut. Not that Luna expected any as she wandered down the corridor. It was late enough despite being the weekend that most teams were turned in for the night leaving the hallways empty, which suited Luna just fine. Being here felt no different than being back at Moon Hill, except for the added guilt of knowing she chose this path and knowing she was at least glad it wasn't her semblance causing the issues. Part of her just wanted to leave, call this attempt a failure and return home. At least there she had her dad to talk to.

' _Here there is no one,'_ she lamented as she reached the elevator ' _Just a little girl afraid to even look at the moon because she is scared of what she might-'_ The elevator's ding startled her just before she hit the button, interrupting her thought as the doors slide open.

"Oh Luna! Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," a sheepish voice apologized from within the tiny room. Hair looking wind swept and face bright red was Leif. Exhaustion wove across his face, yet Luna didn't blame him. If anyone had any right to be on the brink of collapse, both physically and mentally, it was him.

"No worries," she reassured him, trying to recompose herself "Where have you been all day? I checked the infirmary for you this morning…"

"Oh yeah…sorry about that. Needed some fresh air, so I headed into the city for the day," Leif explained, now adding guilt to his complexion of emotion. That explained why not a soul had seen him on campus.

"Did it help?"

"Help what?" More avoiding.

"Anything? Everything?" she pressed, trying to ignore the surprise in her mind. It was odd she was pressing him so hard about this. Yet given how non-conversational Mura had been all day and all the stress of being on a team that didn't even attempt to communicate meaningfully, this just might be her trying to compensate for it.

"Um well, it did, kind of…well no I guess, it didn't really help. I mean I feel a bit better, happened to see an old friend, talked some things out, but I still have no clue where to go from here," Leif rambled out.

"You and me both then."

"Huh? Did something happen?"

"Mura and I got in a fight after her meeting with Headmaster Ozpin last night." It hurt far more to say out loud than Luna had thought it would. More discouragement showed on the taller male's face, although Luna was sure it was the mirrored expression of her own. Leif just sighed, motioning into the elevator instead of stepping out. Not quite sure where he was going with this but not having anything better to do, she obliged him. The doors slid shut as he hit the ground floor.

"Quite the mess our team is," he merely said, eyes avoiding hers as elevator lurched downward. Luna simply nodded. Nothing more to be said. Maybe Umbra was the smartest of them all, avoiding the team entirely because he knew they were failures from the very-

"But at least we can't get worse from this point, right?" Did she hear him right? Luna looked over at her team leader, who was no longer looking at the floor but dead on at her. The miserable emotions still were weaving in out of the creases on his face yet his eyes told a different story. Another ding as the elevator's doors reopened reminded her that she had yet to reply.

"I don't understand." This really was the only thing she could say given the situation. Leif just gave a half smile as they stepped out into the common area of the first year dorms. Like the hallways above, it too was empty of people. Probably best as both of them looked less than presentable. Leif took a seat on the couch, face scrunched up as he tried to find the right words. He seemed to find them as Luna took a seat opposite of him.

"Well neither do I. I don't get any of this. Maybe that's why we're a failure of a team, maybe it's just fate that we weren't supposed to be a team together. Yet here we are, the fine members of Team LUMO..." Silence reigned as he confirmed her feelings. More tears began to cloud her eyes. How much worse were things going to-

"But at least it can't get much worse, so it can only get better right?"

"You-you can't be serious. Half the team won't listen to you: one refuses to acknowledge you, the other, your own partner, refuses to acknowledge any of us. He even intentionally injured you!"

"Yeah, yeah that did happen," Leif admitted. Luna could have swore she heard a chuckle.

"So what, you're just going to ignore that your partner hates you? That he doesn't care to know anything about you? Hell, Mura doesn't even trust me enough to tell me-to tell me…" Her vision started to blur slightly, the corners of her eyes feeling wet. This whole situation was insane, this whole stupid life of her's.

"I suppose that's what you two fought about?" Leif's voice asked, a bit louder and clearer than before.

"We were arguing about her issue with you, one thing led to another… she said I didn't understand anything about her. And she's right. I'm such a terrible partner, I don't really know anything about Mura, never really asked or even tried-" A light tap went through the top of her skull. Startled, she looked up at Leif who was now standing in front her, lowering his outstretched hand. Leif just tapped her head. Why? What was going on-

"Stop or you'll just meltdown," the boy softly requested. "My dad once said that the moment you lose control of your thoughts is the moment you succumb to defeat. Besides you can't blame yourself, at least not entirely."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because I'm LUMO's leader and it's my responsibility. And instead of accepting that, truly and dearly acknowledging, I just did the bare minimum, hoping things would come together without me having to deal with Umbra, Murasaki, or even you. So I'm sorry for that."

"Leif you don't have to apologize-" He held up his hand to cut her off, shaking his head.

"But I do. This isn't the first time I've avoided my problem," he continued, getting a far off look in his eyes, "but as I got reminded of today, avoiding it didn't solve anything."

"Then what are we supposed to do?"

"Well let's brainstorm," Leif suggested, offering a smile while sitting down on the dorm floor in front of her chair. "LUMO is dysfunctional. Why? Because like you pointed out with you and Mura, we barely understand a thing about each other other than that we're as different as can be."

"How can we fix that though? Umbra won't even talk to us, and now Mura practically hates me as well as you now too…" She trailed off sadly. Guilt was also coursing through her as she very well knew of one idea to better understand each other. Her semblance. Seeing each other's inner reflections of who they truly are would be a surefire way to be transparent with each other. But her mouth stayed shut. Memories of being distrusted by those who knew of her semblance, horrified by what she saw in those who were unaware of what she was seeing, her self-contempt for being unable to control it. Using it now would only serve to divide the team further.

"I don't believe that." Leif suddenly spoke.

"What?"

"I said I don't believe that. I mean, I do believe Mura takes issue with me. But you? Ever since you two partnered up, she's always been eager to talk with you. Sure, the topics may not be meaningful, but that right there means something."

"I think you don't understand how bad the fight was last night. Whatever was there is long gone"

"Maybe," Leif said, yet his expression indicated he was clearly unconvinced, "but there is only one way to find out, right?"

"You can't be serious."

"It's that, or we try getting Umbra to warm up first. And I'll be honest, not exactly looking forward to getting smashed into a wall again so soon." Luna couldn't help but give a small giggle at Leif's sarcastic remark. Leif smiled in return.

They may be four very different people, but it didn't matter now. They were all part of LUMO, and, until the day came when they were no longer a team, they had better start getting used to it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's everything I have so far! Thanks for reading, would really appreciate any feedback you want to leave if you have a few moments!!! I'm always trying to improve as a writer :) Currently working on the next update, looking to be 5-8 chapters, hopefully done by December!


	21. Venting Perspectives

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So finally got around to updating my story on here! This update will double the story in length and conclude Volume 1! I don't expect this story to fall behind in updates again compared to on FF now that I finally got the hang of AO3's upload tools. 
> 
> Thank you to the anonymous person and Homohotlii2p for the two kudos!!! Hope you enjoyed the story so far!
> 
> I'm always looking for feedback to improve, and hope you enjoy the new update! :D

**Beacon Practice Field, Vale**

The snickering and odd stares were easy to ignore for the first few days. By the fifth day, it had started becoming too annoying to block out. Now, six days after the team match, Umbra was ready to punch the next person who even dared to look his way. It was a surprise to him that people were giving the slightest care towards what had transpired the week prior, but an even bigger surprise that they were seeming to think he was at fault. He had even seen people offer sympathy towards Leif, encouraging the weakling between classes.

It was infuriating. With no way to vent his anger properly, he found himself running the training course behind Beacon far more as of late. Rarely were other students out here outside of regularly scheduled classes, fewer than in the practice room indoors. It was perfect for him to vent without interruption. While it wasn't much of a challenge, it beat trying to ignore the simpletons that seemingly filled the school. Far less chance he'd blow his cover too.

Yet as he slid under the final barbed wire obstacle, crossing the finish line, Umbra knew this was just an equal waste of time. Slowing to a walk, he grabbed his scroll off the bleachers to check the timer. Another two seconds shaved off, but it was all pointless. He needed to be in the library researching, but it was just so frustrating with all the whispers and the looks and the people! He let out a wordless snarl in anger. He just wanted to go home, leave this backwards place and its failure of warriors behind.

' _Leaving would make me just as much a failure as them though_ ' Umbra muttered in his mind. This whole situation sucked. He had no choice as he began to march back to the main building. Time to hit the books, annoying surroundings or not. The library was open for another few hours, leaving plenty of time to check at least two more rows. His stomach growled as he reached the entryway, but he ignored it. There were times back home when he had to go days without food, sometimes as part of training, other times when the hunt was bad. The wilds of Vacuo could be a cruel mistress to those who wandered its wastes. Yet that is precisely what made those who survived it stronger than the rest, and the Skugga certainly qualified better than most.

His face scrunched up in anger as he passed a few first years. While they quickly moved out of the way, they didn't look away fast enough for Umbra to miss the look of suspicion on their faces. Cowards. If they had a problem with him, they should just face him like a warrior. Not that anyone here seemed to be anything close to resembling one, at least among the first years. The upperclassman may provide the challenge he sought. A chuckle came out as that idea crossed his mind. It wasn't half a bad idea-

"Aww, is little Miss Shields all alone again?"

"Little 'Miss Shields' is about to punch you in the face if you don't get out of mine."

Two voices, one unfamiliar and one unfortunately familiar, were heard as Umbra came up to a four-way intersection just before the library. Unconsciously slowing to a halt, confusion filled the young huntsman's mind before he realized he was actually listening to the conversation to his left. Sighing, he turned and looked to see what scene had caught his attention.

To no surprise, the familiar voice was Murasaki, while the other belonged to Cardin Winchester of Team CRDL. The rest of CRDL was present as well, surrounding the purple haired teen, with similar smirks as their leader. If Mura seemed intimidated, she didn't show it.

"Oooooh watch out Cardin, she might shoot her team leader at you!" mocked Russel as the rest of his team laughed.

"Nah, he never seems to be around his failure of a team anymore," laughed Sky as Mura grit her teeth.

"Says the one who turned his pants a different color when one of those 'failures' had him pressed against the wall," Mura cut back. Sky's face flushed red while a smile crossed Umbra's face at the memory, ignoring the fact that Mura had just called him a failure.

"And yet our team won while yours just squabbled amongst yourselves. So who're the real failures here?"

"I think I know," Umbra called out, his eyes narrowed as he walked towards the five. Declaring themselves the winners? He wouldn't let that one stand; their match had hardly been decided. Cardin's face fell flat as he saw just who it was approaching. Both Russel and Dove quickly backpedaled from in between Mura and her teammate, both looking far less confident than before. Good, they still remember that fear.

"Whatever," the tall leader scoffed, trying to brush off the fear in his face. "Better watch out shield girl, otherwise he may put you in the infirmary next." With that, CRDL scampered off in retreat, leaving Mura stamping her foot down, growling.

"I hope you don't expect a thank you," she snapped at Umbra as he approached.

"Why would I expect one?"

"Because-never mind, you're hopeless." No jokes, just barbed words. Clearly something was off. Not his problem. Without saying anything else, Umbra set off to the library. He didn't make it two steps before getting stopped once more.

"How do you deal with it all?" Not the question he was expecting, but then again he wasn't expecting any question. While not feeling particularly compelled to answer, it might be easier than just ignoring her in the long run.

"I just ignore them. If they can't hurt you, they won't try."

"I meant Leif. Us. LUMO in general."

"I doubt any of you could hurt me if-"

"Don't get smart with me, you damn well know what I mean." He didn't, but he was starting to regret engaging in this conversation at all. He couldn't actually answer honestly either as it would just give away his real reason for being at Beacon. He couldn't have Mura getting suspicious.

"Why would I waste my time with three strangers who don't even care enough to work together? Zero point."

"It's hard to work together when one of us is off on our own all the time."

"Look at the Beowolf calling the Creep a Grimm," scoffed Umbra, reciting an old line he heard from an elder Skugga once.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. It's not like you've been around the others much since the practice fight." Mura was taken aback as Umbra pressed his attack, "I've seen you avoiding the other two this whole week. While I can understand the weakling, you've even been avoiding wolf girl, who you actually seemed to get along with. Yet you sit here chastising me for avoiding the team?"

"I-what-wait have you been keeping an eye on us this whole time?" Mura stammered out. Now Umbra was taken aback. It wasn't like he was doing it solely to watch them, it just came with the territory of trying to avoid said teammates while doing research for his mission. Memorize their routines, their tendencies, nothing more. Not that he could just say that. The gears in his brain spun fast to find a way out.

"Well yeah-I-I have to figure out if you are worth the time and effort to get to know after all. So far, hardly even seem worthy of acknowledgment," he hastily explained. Not the best lie, but hopefully it would hold up. He needed something, anything to try and get her off his case now.

"How has Luna been then?" Stunned a second time now. Luna? The question was asked so softly that it seemed like Murasaki didn't even want to utter it. Umbra wasn't going to question a way out though.

"Hurt. Badly hurt. Whatever you two fought over she took very personally." While Luna seemed to be blaming herself more than Mura, the short girl didn't need to know that. As predicted, more concern and guilt spread throughout her small face. Time for the kill.

"Not surprising though. This whole 'team' is a farce. No one here gives a damn about one another when it comes down to it, everyone cares far too much about themselves to-"

"Shut it." Mura cut him off suddenly. Unexpected, yet not unwanted.

"Too much truth for you to handle?" Umbra sneered.

"Too much of you right now for me to handle," she countered, walking off past him. Umbra suppressed a hearty chuckle at her rage. While he much preferred a battle of strength, winning a battle of words had it's-

"But thanks. You're an asshole for sure, but…at least you still care enough to keep an eye out." With that, his teammate's footsteps faded off into the distance behind him, leaving a very stunned and very confused boy standing alone, wondering who truly won.

* * *

"But is ten rounds really enough though?"

"It is when you're accurate."

"But what if there are more than ten bad guys?"

"That's why we have teams, Ruby."

"But what about-" Leif and Jaune sighed in amusement as the leaders of teams RWBY and OBDN continued their debate that had begun that day at lunch. They were supposed to be working on the special homework assignments that were given to team leaders, but that lasted all of half an hour before the weapon chitchats began again.

_Semblances draw on Aura as they both are utilities of living beings with a soul. As semblances get used, aura will drain accordingly. This means Team LUMO_

Leif frowned as he looked back over what he had so far. Professor Alabaster's normal homework on Aura hadn't given him too much trouble up until now, but these extra assignments proved to be more difficult for him. The assignments varied from professor to professor, from writing about how to properly brief for a mission for Professor Oobleck to analyzing Grimm hunting patterns and deploying the team accordingly for Professor Port. This particular one from Professor Alabaster regarded monitoring Aura levels and how they affected semblance use in battle. Unlike the subjects he excelled in back at Lantern, this was much more than just regurgitating facts and applying scholastic concepts like mathematics and the sciences. Tactics, stratagems, the science of Aura, Grimm studies; all of these he had to be able to apply to leading his team. While he had certainly benefited from the unorthodox bonus tutoring he received through various stories he heard and read back home, none of that helped him here. The three leaders with him were supposed to be doing that.

"I mean what do you think Jaune? How many rounds?" Ruby asked suddenly, dragging the blonde next to Leif into the fray.

"I'm-uh-well-you know, might not be the best person to ask on account of you know, my weapon not…having…ammo," JNPR's leader stammered.

"Oh right…."

Leif cleared his throat, cutting into the conversation before someone else could sustain it, "So this paper…"

"Right, sorry," both girls muttered, cheeks red as they refocused. There was definitely a difference between the students here and the ones he was used to at Lantern. Students there were much more focused on studies, while here at Beacon the attitude seemed much laxer, almost laid back, when it came to non-huntsman training, or at least to the non-physical side of it. Both Ruby and Opal had attended Signal Academy over on Patch, although only Opal actually graduated from the combat school. Ruby apparently got in on special circumstance due to her being younger than the rest, not that Leif really tried to look too closely into it. She had more than proved her skills since coming here, something he had yet to do.

That being said, if he ever was having doubts about his own personal skill, he didn't have to look much farther than Jaune Arc, who was probably the only first year on par if not worse than him at basic huntsman skills. Yet team JNPR was ranked higher than LUMO in practically every aspect. On one hand, most would probably say it had a lot to do with having the world famous Pyrrha Nikos on the team. She was damn near perfect after all, but she wasn't the deciding factor in Leif's opinion. It was the fact that Jaune's team actually worked together, coordinated and practiced as a united team, as opposed to whatever the hell LUMO was trying to be. At least they wouldn't be an embarrassing wreck against Team WAVE during the team fight rematches that were scheduled in two weeks.

Leif pushed aside his frustration and tried to clear his mind, tapping his pen on the common room desk out of habit. Aura was the powerhouse of the semblance; no aura, no semblance, at least in most cases. Yet it seemed to vary from semblance to semblance; depending on what they did, aura could be used for more or less. Something like his memory semblance seemed to take little aura, while Mura's levitating semblance probably took a much larger toll depending on the conditions surrounding what she was using it on. This would mean carefully watching Mura's aura levels so he could strategically decide when it would be best for her to act…granted, if she actually listened to him. Meanwhile, with Umbra and Luna's semblances, he would have to…have to…

His pen stopped mid-tap. What were their semblances? It actually had never come up in the very few conversations they had, and Professor Alabaster had yet to do any sort practical tests in class. In fact, it actually struck Leif as quite peculiar that he hadn't seen their semblances yet; they didn't seem like Jaune, who legitimately lacked some serious knowledge about this sort of thing. But why hadn't either of them-he jumped as the door to the common room suddenly opened to his left, interrupting his train of thought. The wide dark green eyes staring at him told him that he wasn't the only one startled.

"Mura, hey!" Leif blurted out. Opportunities to talk with her had become as scarce as they were with Umbra, so he wasn't going to pass up on this chance. "Need something? Or just coming to relax? Or ummm, something?" She looked slightly taken aback at the sudden questions. Might have over done it. He looked to his fellow team leaders for help, but all three seemed far more interested in their books than they had been minutes earlier. Well Ruby wasn't anyways, looking back and forth between the two curiously before Opal shoved her head down to end her awkwardness.

"Um, no, no, just umm, looking for my Scroll is all." Her nervous voice indicated otherwise. Well that, and the fact he could clearly see her Scroll in her front pocket. Yet this may have just provided an opportunity in itself.

"Well where did you see it last? I could help you look for it."

"No need!" she quickly replied, "I'm sure you have other things to do." He figured she wouldn't go for it, but Leif had one other tactic to try. A gamble to be sure, and he hoped Luna would forgive him for it.

"Oh by the way, Luna was looking for you."

"Wait what?"

"Yeah, I think she went looking around the practice field, maybe? Think she wanted to talk to you about something, not sure, kind of gave a 'none-of-your-business' look when I asked," Leif lied. Luna was definitely at the practice field to work on her archery, but was in no way looking for her partner. Every attempt Leif had made to encourage her to talk with Mura had been a failure. Maybe approaching from the other side would work better. Didn't have many better options at any rate and things could hardly get worse.

"She is?" Mura finally questioned quietly, eyes looking away from his. Got her.

"Yeah, she seemed anxious. Something happen between you two or-"

"No no, just homework stuff, Port's assignment. I'll go find her." With that, Murasaki backed out of the room, shutting the door as she left. A huge exhale released from his lungs, yet the sound of frantic page flipping was heard over it.

"Ummmm wait, I though Port didn't give any homework this weekend? Crap crap crap!" Jaune exclaimed, eyes twitching as they raced across his journal.

"I must have forgotten to write it down too! Wait! Weiss would know!" Ruby exclaimed, bounding up from her seat and rushing down the dorm halls. Opal just rolled her eyes before giving Leif a sympathetic look.

Mura's excuse to leave was a flat out lie. They both knew Port had given them the weekend off of homework in order to study for their test next week. Leif glanced back over his shoulder out the window, where he could see the sun just starting to dip into view as the late afternoon carried on into evening.

' _Sorry Luna, hope I didn't just spark a fire'_


	22. A Flicker

**Beacon Hallways, Vale**

' _She seemed anxious. Something happen between you two or-'_  Mura shook her head slowly, thinking of Leif's words. Ever since that fight last week, the partners had yet to have a serious talk, or really any kind of talk at all. This whole week had been miserable for her, between Ozpin's words routinely echoing in her mind and this feeling of isolation she was keeping herself in. True, her freedom was now intact, but she almost felt as miserable as she did back home. It was all too confusing, making it hard for her to focus in class.

Mura muttered a thanks to an upperclassman who held the door for her as she exited the main building. While Beacon had exceptional indoor practice facilities, an outdoor field was maintained for weapons training, particularly of the ranged variety. Environmental factors played a huge role when it came to ranged combat, with wind affecting projectile speed and paths, while visibility could hamper one's aim. On top of that, the practice field also featured various combination test ranges, allowing students to practice ranged and melee combos, fighting on the move while transforming their weapon. While bullet shooters had an easier time of it, those who used more archaic weaponry such as Luna needed to practice far more often.

Sure enough, she spotted her partner standing at the firing line, slowly taking shots from just under two hundred yards out. It always amazed Mura, seeing the grace and precision that Luna had when it came to her technique. Such control over her style, something that seemed like was attainted through years of practice. She couldn't even begin to comprehend all the work her partner must have put in to attain her current skills.

Nervousness continued to build as she waited patiently for Luna to finish. Hopefully this was her way of venting, as she was likely frustrated that her partner wasn't down here when she came looking. With each arrow fired, the nervousness grew. What would she say? Mura just wanted to apologize, to explain everything, but that thought was engulfed with fear that her past would come out. Murasaki refused to go back to Stillfalls, back to her mother. This was absolute.

And it was why this conversation would be so painful. She was the instrument in her own suffering.

With that solemn resolution, the last arrow left Luna's bow. The Faunus wiped her forehead of sweat as she triggered the rolling target to return. The arrows were in a tight grouping near the center, yet none were a perfect bull's eye. Luna stared at the target for a minute, probably analyzing her results, before collecting the arrows off the board. As she finished, Mura took a deep breath before walking forward. Step by step, her heart grew heavier. Here goes nothing.

"He-hey Luna." Her partner jumped in surprise at her sudden approach. Her genuine reaction immediately sent up a warning flag. Wasn't Luna looking for her in the first place?

"Mura, hey, di-did you come to practice?"

"Umm no, Leif said you were looking for me actually?" The expression on Luna's face shifted to one of confusion. Had she really not been looking for her? Why would Leif lie about that though? The surprised vanished as quick as it appeared however.

"Kinda…I-we, I mean…can we talk?" While the 'kinda' seemed like a half truth, the rest felt genuine. More importantly, Luna wasn't wrong; it was time to talk. Steadying her breathing, Mura started to speak-

"I'm sorry!" Mouth left hanging open before a sound could escape it, Mura was left speechless by Luna. Her partner's head was hung low, as though bowing in remorse for some crime.

"For what?" sputtered Mura. It was her who snapped at Luna, her keeping secrets, why on Remnant was she apologizing?

"Because you were right," Luna explained, head still lowered, "I don't understand. I don't understand anything about you, and I should have tried harder to."

"It's not your fault-"

"But it is. We're partners, yet we're total strangers. I don't know where you're from, all your likes and interests, things you hate, your dreams and hopes, nothing! I thought that maybe it would come in time, never made the first move, but I should have been asking more, trying to understand, trying to-" Warmth filled Mura's palms. Without realizing it, she had closed the gap between them, grasping the shaking wolf girl's shoulders. Luna's head raised in shock, their eyes meeting, hers full of tears. At this, Mura felt her own water slightly. All this time since their fight and Luna felt it was her fault? She thought she was guilty?

This was wrong.

"It's not your fault," Mura repeated, firmer this time, trying to reassure her partner.

"How can it not be?"

"Because I wouldn't have let you in. I didn't even try to open myself up, whether you tried or not," Mura confessed, looking aside as she let go of Luna's now still shoulders. ' _And I still can't do it even now'_

"But why? We're supposed to be partners…am I just not what you expected to get or…?"

"No, Luna, it's not you. I just-"

' _Scared of being sent home'_

' _Scared of losing my freedom'_

"I just have a lot of stuff in my past. I'm not use to having anyone to talk to about it, so having a partner is just…different." Another half lie. Her legs began feeling heavy leading her to sit on a bench by the entryway to the practice field.

"It's hard to trust when it's been so long since you've trusted anyone." It had been several years now, but it felt like just yesterday that he was home. Like just yesterday, he had died. All the time since then had been a nightmare: from being locked up in a cage by her mother to pushed away by her so called friends and teachers. All because she was her father's daughter.

"I know what that's like, to not have anyone." Luna softly replied, sniffing to hold back tears. Mura's heart quickened for a beat, body tensing. How could she?

"My mom died shortly after I was born, only had my dad growing up, no siblings, no real friends. I mean, he gave it his all, and I know he loves me, but he's still only one parent. Didn't make a lot of close friends either for one reason or another…so I know what loneliness is like."

A gentle evening breeze rolled across the field, the only sound heard in the silence left by that confession. Mura's mind was stuck processing what had been said. Her mom died when Luna was just a baby, leaving a hole all too similar to her losing her dad. Both had no siblings, no friends for one reason or another.

But it wasn't the same. She had never gotten to know her mother, whereas Mura knew her dad long enough to feel an unbearable amount of pain when he passed. When he took his own life. Her partner may understand if Mura actually told her the difference, yet no words came out. Her voice was silenced through flashes of the past few years, being locked in the house, never being allowed to leave without her mother escorting her. Always being forced to watch other kids play outside while she was forced to remain 'safe' and 'out of danger'. She wouldn't go back to that cage, never-

"But then I came here, a fresh start, a new beginning away from home. I met Leif, who seemed a bit goofy but nice, and then you, who seemed so confident in herself. Neither of you treated me like others did back home, it was so different, but…nice." Luna took a seat next to Mura on the bench, her bow on her lap. Part of her wanted to get up and run. Yet part of her remained rooted to the wooden boards beneath her. She wanted to hear her partner out; she owed her that much.

"Then we became partners, me this quiet shy loner Faunus and this confident, strong, if not a bit brash, human, paired for the rest of our school years together." A tiny glow flickered to life in her mind at these words. They weren't mere flattery; each one felt as genuine as the girl sitting next to him.

"It was a whole new experience, so unknown, scary even. But…shouldn't we try to make the most of it?" Luna's question rang for several seconds in her ears. Her heart ached to agree, yet it remained chained by her mind's fear. Parts of her were screaming out that she was being irrational, paranoid, but it was in the name of freedom! A freedom that was more valuable than anything else, even full honesty with her partner. But to turn away from this girl now, who just told of her past without any prompting or questioning, wasn't something she wanted either.

To turn away from Luna now would be something Mura knew she would probably regret for the rest of her life.

Yet, the fear remained absolute.

"Look, Luna, I just…it's just-"

"You don't have to tell me everything all at once. I mean, we all have our secrets and just met barely a month ago," Luna said, with a suddenly far off look in her eyes appearing. It vanished as quick as it appeared, but it was more than enough to give Mura pause. In a way, she supposed she shouldn't be surprised given the trend each of LUMO's members was on.

"But we can start small like with our favorite foods maybe." Laughter surprised Mura, as she recognized it as her own. With all that she was feeling, she still managed to laugh. The warmth was still a tiny flicker, but even she noticed its growth through Luna's talk. Even with all the cold dark fear in her heart, that tiny flicker of hope remained. It felt familiar, reminiscent of a time years ago before these bad memories happened.

It reminded her of sledding down a hill, being watched by loving eyes. Learning to fight, goofy laughter as she awkwardly learned. Leaving the house to play with other kids as she was told to be back by dark. Watching fresh snow fall beside a warm fire with company.

It reminded her of Dad.

She looked at the girl next to her in the eyes, her conviction stronger.

"I'm not saying I'll be the easiest person to work with-"

"You at least talk to me, so you're already easier to work with compared to Umbra." Another fit of laughter. When she first met Luna, she thought she was a quiet shy girl who'd need a lot of coaxing to come out of her shell. It seemed now though that Luna might have been looking for a way to break out her own shell, whether she realized it or not.

Her own shell was still intact, made hard by her secrets and the years of control by her mother. But the flickering flame illuminated a crack in the shell, a step in the right direction.

"Well. Okay then," Mura simply agreed, smiling despite the fear still lingering her heart "Shall we head back? It's getting dark."

"Ye-yeah sure." They stood and began the walk to Beacon. Even with all the emotional turmoil, it felt like a great deal of weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. Lifted by this girl who still wanted to stand by her, despite how she treated her.

"Ramen," Mura suddenly said while the walked, causing Luna to jump.

"Wh-huh?"

"My favorite food is ramen."

It wasn't perfect, but it was a start.


	23. A Flame

**Library, Beacon Academy, Vale**

_As semblances get used, aura will drain accordingly. This means Team LUMO_

_As semblances get used, aura will drain accordingly. This means Team LUMO_

_As semblances get used, aura will drain accordingly. This means Team LUMO_

Three whole days had passed since he started this assignment. Even with the other three team leaders' help, it hadn't gone much better. He couldn't even ask for their help at the moment, as both teams reserved the training room for team practice, an excuse he wished he could use from time to time. With the paper due during tomorrow's final class, he was now stuck here in the library, trying to cobble a bunch of paragraphs together. He had been avoiding the library and most common areas for a while now, as they typically were packed with students, many of whom witnessed the embarrassing beat down LUMO experienced. The very beat down that was the cause of snickering, subtle jabs, and mocking looks in the days since then.

Oh joy.

Sucking up what little of his pride remained, the leader of Team LUMO forced himself down to the library. As humiliating as it was, he valued keeping good grades over avoiding a few jeers. At least good grades were one thing he could be proud of, provided he finished this paper.

_As semblances get used, aura will drain accordingly. This means Team LUMO_

Nope, still stuck. Leif stood up and stretched, sighing in frustration. The books he pulled were only getting him so far, as the paper also required his own analysis on how he could direct his team in combat with regards to semblances and aura.

' _Never thought I would miss doing papers on famous plays or philosophers-ugh'_ His thoughts were punctuated by his stomach growling. He stared down at his unfinished paper before scooping it all up into his bag. Wasn't making any progress here anyways, might as well get some grub. Scooting the chair in, Leif made his way to the exit like others were around him. The difference here being that they were in groups; Leif was alone.

Trying to block out the negative thoughts as he navigated the hallways, he slipped his scroll from his pocket to message Luna. Hopefully he wouldn't be eating dinner alone at least. Then again, Luna had been spending most of her time with Mura for the past few days, with today at the target range being no different. Neither had really explained what went down between them a few days ago. Must have been therapeutic, since they seemed to be on cheery speaking terms again.

[lcirci2017 {19:23}]: heading 2 dinner, u coming?

[lokiri5425 {19:25}]: I will be down soonish, going to change first.

[lcirci2017 {19:25}]: k, i'll save |

Much like his paper, that text wouldn't be finished either as he almost slammed head on into someone, knocking both sets of hands empty.

"Oh jeez, I'm so so sorry," Leif embarrassedly stammered, getting on the floor to pick up everything. "Definitely shouldn't be texting and walking-oh…" His hand froze as it grabbed one of the dropped items. A shield. A very familiar looking shield. Which had a matching twin a few feet away. So familiar that he even knew their names.

_Dawn_ and  _Dusk._  Mura's shields. Meaning Mura was the one he ran into. This should be fun. Gulping, he grabbed the shields and turned to return them, tensing up as he prepared for the verbal onslaught that was sure to follow. None of that prepared him for the sight that awaited him.

A flushed red face with eyes cast to the side, a look that some might called embarrassed. Yet this was Murasaki. She didn't get embarrassed, she got angry. Well with him she did anyways.

"It's fine, thanks," she mumbled as she snatched them. In shock, Leif almost didn't let go. No insults, no anger, just a normal human reaction. He'd be further shocked if it hadn't been for her behavior the past few days. His relationship with Murasaki had gotten even stranger than he thought possible. The scowls and glares had subsided, yet a sort of enmity remained, more distant than before yet less confrontational, which pretty much summed up their current situation. Luna must have said something to her about it, but he was out of the loop.

Uncomfortable silence continued with no interruptions, leading Mura to awkwardly step around Leif, to head on towards wherever she was going.

"Hey, wait a second-" Leif suddenly turned, his hand grabbing cloth. Her uniform specifically; he had reached for shoulder without thinking. Yet his mind was apparently made up without him realizing it. As his hand rapidly withdrew daggers were glared back at him at the sudden physical contact, but Leif disregarded Mura's reaction.

This had gone on long enough.

"Look, can we talk? Please?" There was a sharp intake of breath along with a calculating look. Seconds were ticking by, each one feeling like a half a lifetime.

"Fine, but not here." Mura finally agreed, motioning to the empty classroom off the corridor they were in. Despite it being the answer he wanted, surprise still struck through him as he stumbled after her. Luna had gotten her chance and fixed things with her partner. Now was his chance to fix things with part of his team.

* * *

"So what exactly do you-"

"I'm sorry." Leif blurted out, that phrase taking Mura by surprise for the second time within recent memory. Her first instinct was to agree with him, yet a small voice in her mind questioned why he thought he was at fault.

"Sorr-for what exactly?"

"For everything. My terrible leadership, naïve nature, lack of experience. I'm sorry for me is what I'm trying to say." The self-admonishment was far more extensive than she expected, leaving her speechless. Leif, however, was not.

"I know I lack the formal training that most students got prior to Beacon. I mean, people like you are light-years ahead of where I am as a huntsman." Another divided thought cut through her mind. ' _Yes you're terrible compared to me_ ' most of her wanted to scream, yet her smaller part was busy recalling his narrow escape during Initiation. From the moment they met, she could tell he didn't have the skills most did as first year students, from his carefree nature to his foolhardy actions. Yet only a carefree fool would try the insane plan that he improvised on the spot, taunting a King Taijitu into charging him, only for him to flip the script on the Grimm by surfing on its head across the gorge, safely grabbing the rope while it plunged to its death in the depths below.

Moments later, Mura was plunging into those same depths below to save his sorry ass after the rope snapped.

"And yet, Ozpin decided for some foolish reason to make me leader of LUMO, when any of you would have been a better choice, with no chance at changing it."

'… _just as I told Mister Circinus the day following Initiation, I will not be changing my assigned leader for Team LUMO.'_ Leif tried to give up the job. Ozpin refused to let him, forcing him to stick with it, to try and make the best of it. But Mura fought him every step of the way, no matter how hard he tried. It always felt different with him than it was with Luna. With Luna it was a constant debate of how truthful she should be with her partner, yet with Leif she had no issue keeping her origins a secret, no guilt or anything. Yet, the need to push back against him remained, always present whenever he tried to do his job. Right now though the taller boy looked more like a small child in trouble, face reddened and regretful. This is what she wanted though right? For him to admit he was wrong?

"You definitely could be better," she said half-heartedly. Those words had been said numerous times before, both to his face and in private. Why did they start to feel hollow now?

"Heh, you're not wrong," Leif agreed, embarrassment embedded in his voice, "so I want to make you a deal."

"A-a deal?"

"Well since Ozpin won't let me give up the title, how about you be leader for all intents and purposes and I'll just make sure all the paperwork gets done? That sound good?" Murasaki be leader. Leif just a figurehead. Had he said this the first week of school, she would have accepted in a heartbeat. Yet no words left her throat. Why didn't she now though? What changed?

' _I mean I know he's inexperienced, but aren't we all?'_

' _He constantly asks us questions, tries to get our opinions, but you just seem to brush him off, putting down any attempt he makes to get us to act like a real team.'_

Luna's words echoed in her mind, further adding to the confusion raging through her mind. This feeling of guilt continued to gnaw at her. Why?

' _Does that sound like a tyrannical dictator trying to control you, or a poor inexperienced-yet-learning leader trying to get help from the people he knows know better?'_

' _But from my position, I see a girl projecting her fears from the issues she left behind onto a poor boy who knows nothing about her.'_

Now Ozpin's words joined the choir of thoughts, further gnawing at her will. This was just like her talk with Luna, the feeling that went through Luna as she offered apology after apology.

The feeling that she herself should be the one apologizing.

"Why?" The question escaped her lips without thinking.

"What?" Leif questioned back, clearly caught off guard.

"Why are you doing this?"

"I-well…I'm LUMO's leader right? Part of being a leader is knowing when to let someone better take the lead right? Besides…it's why you hate me right? So I thought this might help fix that sorta, I don't know…" His voice trailed off.

Her heart ached at the words. This stupid idiot was supposed to be a tyrannical controlling villain, not freely offering her control of the whole team. She just wanted to be free, to choose her own destiny, to make sure she would never go through the same thing she went through with her mother. Why did that seem so wrong now?

' _Because you already were free.'_ The small voice in the back of her mind grew louder _'You just couldn't accept it'_

Suddenly the pain, the confusion, all of it stopped.

' _I am free'_  Mura repeated in her head. Those three words sparked a tiny sense of satisfaction, leading her to repeat them over and over. It was the same spark the Luna had ignited days ago. Now the flame was growing, spreading like the warmth of the fireplace spreading through the home on a cold winter day. She had been fighting so hard for her freedom that she didn't even realize it was safely hers the minute she set foot in Beacon. She just hadn't realized it.

Mura's focus came back around to physical world and saw Leif's confused look. She needed to give her answer.

"Look, you may be inexperienced, naïve, hell, even downright idiotic at times, but my answer is no."

"Wait, what?"

"I mean Ozpin made you leader, so he obviously sees something in you… and, well, it's obviously not the best situation. I'll admit that I haven't done much to give you a fair shot."

"But I shouldn't even be the leader, much less ordering around someone who clearly hates being told what to do; I'm far too inexperienced." That sentence caught Mura off guard. Leif honestly wasn't too far off the mark at the cause of her discontent, again proving his intellect was much sharper than his combat prowess. The aching regret she felt back during her talk with Luna returned. If she confessed her origins, maybe all this would be so much easier.

But that wasn't a step she was willing to take yet. Baby steps.

"Maybe so, but that doesn't excuse me from being a bitch since day one of your new job. And for that, I'm sorry." The words brought a surprising sense of relief. It genuinely felt good, and not just because of the absolutely befuddled look on the Vale teen's face.

"I-I-I mean, I wouldn't say you're a bitch, far from it-"

"I shot you with a cannon into your asshole of a partner who then knocked you out," she countered, eyebrow raising. "Pretty sure most people would count that as a bitch move." Leif's brain was visibly trying to process her crass language, and likely also the whole conversation that was taking place.

"I guess so," he finally laughed. "So, umm, please don't do it again?"

"Fine. But only if you ummm…"

"If I what?"

"Only if you…if you keep asking the rest of us for our ideas."

"Of course! Speaking of, there is a paper I have to do for leadership homework that I could-" Suddenly a text alert squawked, causing him to jump, which in turn elicited a giggle from the Atlas runaway. This kid was something else.

"Oh crap!" He groaned "Luna! I was going to meet her at the cafeteria for dinner!"

"Well we better not keep my partner waiting then. Otherwise she might be the one who thinks LUMO's leader is incompetent now," Mura teased, punching her team leader's arm softly as she headed for the door with a smile.

* * *

Still no sign of him and her salad was half way gone. Luna was starting to worry something had come up when she felt her scroll vibrate.

[lcirci2017 {19:51}]: omw! sorry was fixing something :p

Luna couldn't even begin to guess what Leif was fixing, but just replied with a quick 'Ok' as she finished munching on her salad. The dining hall was beginning to empty out as students finished up their meals, yet this was probably for the best. Given the teasing and mocking looks LUMO had been getting, the fewer people the better. Especially with how visibly divided the team was. It had been over two weeks since the last time three out of the four of them had a meal together, and thanks to Umbra, never since all four of them had.

Worrying her further was Professor Goodwitch's announcement earlier. The rematches of the team fights from the beginning of the semester would be coming up at the end of next week, meaning all teams should be preparing to show how they improved in the time since then. Which in LUMO's case, meant not at all. At least now she was used to being considered the worst first year team.

"So so sorry I'm late," Leif's voice was heard from across the cafeteria, growing louder as he drew closer, his taller head visible as he cut in and out of the crowd exiting.

"No worries, what happened exactly?"

"The idiot tried giving up the leadership job to me, that's what," Luna felt her jaw physically drop a few inches as her partner appeared with him as they got through the last of the crowd.

"Wait, he did what?"

"Well I ran into her, literally, on my way to see you, and then I realized-" Leif began to explain but Mura cut off his rambling.

"He tried to quit his day job and I realized it was because I was making it miserable for him, so I apologized and we're going to be all good now. Short and sweet." Luna suspected there was far more to this story, but the smiles on both their faces seemed genuine. Did they really make up just like that? She been trying to figure out a way to encourage Mura to make an effort with Leif, but couldn't think of a good way, yet it seemed irrelevant now. Probably shouldn't look gift Dust in the element.

"Well glad to hear you two had a nice chat," Luna expressed warmly. "Now the three of us can finally have meals together without a fight breaking out."

"Shouldn't be a problem, I made sure to include a 'no diet plan' in concessions," Mura remarked sarcastically, making Luna giggle as she took a seat next to her, with Leif taking the one across from them.

"And now maybe the three of us can solve the last question mark of Team LUMO," Leif quietly stated, his tone shifting from his usual lightheartedness to something much more somber. Luna's heart sank, the moment of celebration over. Even Mura's demeanor shifted, nodding in agreement. Getting Murasaki back on her partner and leader's side was one thing.

Umbra Imaly was quite another.


	24. The Last Question Mark

**Beacon Academy, Vale**

Left. Another left. Right. Down the stairs. Out the backdoor. Double-back around the dorm building. Pause in the courtyard and check again. No purple hair. No white furry ears. Seconds ticked by, then minutes, before Umbra finally breathed a sigh of relief. Losing his teammates was starting to become more difficult than shaking Grimm off his scent. At first he thought he was just imagining things, that occasionally one of the three took the same route he chose that day. Then it started happening every day, forcing him to take even less predictable routes. That worked perfectly for half a week, but during the past two days, one or two of them would manage to stay on his tail for a few minutes before he lost them. Today it took him nearly ten to lose Murasaki and Luna.

It was no longer a mild annoyance. It was enraging. The mocking looks from random students, left over from the fight over two weeks ago, were irritating enough when he tried to do research in the library, but his team attempting to track him now was making practically impossible for him to get away regularly. Not that he was getting any closer to learning more about the legend, his frustration evident as he angrily yanked open the door to the main building. While he finally managed to find a section on folk tales, myths, and legends, there were just too many books for him to go through quickly and thoroughly. Yet there was nothing left to do but just keep pushing onwards.

A minor growl rippled through his stomach as he approached the library. Most students were at lunch right now, which left the library for the most part vacant. Being a little hungry was a small price to pay for privacy. The silence was blissful as he headed up to the second floor to where he left off yesterday. The section was empty as usual, a blessing given the trouble he went through to even get here. Flicking through the books, he found the next one in line to be looked through,  _Mystical_   _Locations_ _from Beyond the Kingdoms_ , and began to skim down the table of contents.

_1\. Marlking's Fall_ _pg._  5

_2\. Valley of the Celestials_ pg _._ 35

_3\. The Sinking of Mu Nan-Leng_ pg. 52

_4\. The Ruin of Creiton_ pg. 74

_5\. Biack: Rise to Fall_ pg. 89

These were all just theories and information on locations that may or may not have existed, once again not what he was looking for. Fuming, Umbra slammed the book shut and replaced it on the shelf. Same old same old. He was starting to think the reason he was not given more information on the  _Legend of Lightless Night_ was simply because the Skugga lacked more information to tell. Maybe it really was just a baseless fable.

' _Yet the elders were so sure to send me…there has to be_ something  _that gave them reason to believe this legend was more than just a story'_ he rationalized, pushing the doubts Umbra heard otherwise from back home, he would keep giving it his all. On to the next book. Yet the book he pulled down would go unopened as he froze. Through the empty slot on the shelf, orange eyes met green ones. Familiar green ones.

The library was typically fairly quiet, but whatever noises were present fell flat on Umbra's ears, his brain tied up trying to process the sight. Taken by surprise, reflexes and instincts failed him, with the only silver lining being his partner was equally slow to react, as usual. For almost a month now Umbra had managed to keep his teammates from knowing what he'd been up to or where he was spending his time.

All undone in less than a second by pure chance.

"Umbr-" He didn't wait for his partner to finish his first word, instead slamming his shoulder into the bookshelf without thinking. While the shelves were sturdily bolted into the floor, the vast amount of books lining them were not. The Vacuo teen turned to escape as his partner cried out as the hardcover volumes crashed down on him. Coming up with a new plan would come later, escaping was priority. He dashed towards the balcony, leaping down to the first level to the shock of the few students studying down below. Now to run-a grunt of pain escaped his lips as an object struck him.

Whirling about, he ducked as another book flew overhead. Snarling, he looked for the source only to see Leif leap down, closing the distance as he landed shakily. Escape or fight, his mind was torn. Taking out Leif would keep him from talking but make him a bigger target given the witnesses around them. Yet his weapon was unfortunately stowed away in the locker room, not that he needed it to kill one weakling but it would be crucial to help him escape. Either way his mission all but over now, all due to sheer dumb luck.

Absolutely infuriating, an anger that only grew fiercer. If he was to be a failure, then he would take down the 'failure' in front of him with him.

"Look, let's just talk-" Leif started to say before trying to scramble back as Umbra charged forward. Horrified gasps and a small scream filled the library as he lunged forward, tackling his partner. Punch after punch he threw at him, attempting to break his Aura quickly so he could land the killing blow. Just as he was hopelessly inept at all other forms of combat, the Vale teen was barely able to defend himself.

He was barely trying to move at all actually. Umbra's fist hung in the air, hesitating at the slight infuriating grin that was aimed up at him. Suddenly he felt his body pulled backwards by his raised arm, flipped onto his stomach as he was pinned to the floor, arm bent behind his back. Snarling, Umbra twisted his head trying to get a look at his assailant before feeling his heart quiver slightly for a second. Trapping him against the floor was the largest man he had ever seen, dwarfing even him. Even at a disadvantage, Umbra still struggled, trying to escape this larger foe, to no avail.

"The library is for learning, not for fighting," the giant quietly lectured.

"Careful Yatsu, don't break the poor first year now," a female voice chided in front of them. "Wouldn't want to land in detention with him yourself."

Detention? Some sort of torture possibly, Umbra wasn't sure. Despite the pressure on his arm, he continued to squirm but failed to dislodge his captor. This might be it for-the pressure vanished suddenly as he felt himself getting hauled to his feet. In front of him was a much shorter female student wearing a black cap, peering up at him above her darkened shades with a bemused smile. His heart sank further as a taller older women stood behind her who wore no smile, instead opting for a stern glare. Then again, he couldn't recall a time when he had seen Professor Goodwitch smile.

"Care to explain yourself Mr. Imaly? Attacking your team leader in the library? You better have a very good excuse for why I shouldn't put you on the next flight out of Beacon myself."

Umbra said nothing. There was nothing to say to begin with. His only hope was that Leif either was too dumb to guess what he was doing or didn't think it was important, leaving him to return to the Skugga. Although returning a failure wasn't at all acceptable to him either. That left running and hiding in the city, attempting to complete his mission from there.

"Nothing? Not a word? Perhaps some time in detention will sort you out- "

"It was my fault Professor." A shaky voice from behind caught him off guard. With an eyebrow raised, Professor Goodwitch peered behind him as Umbra craned his head around, the taller student turning him slightly. Being helped to his feet by a rabbit Faunus was Leif, looking very shaky with the grin gone, but with a look in his eyes that almost seemed like confidence. His hand darted from his pocket as he rose. Messing with his scroll? Then his thoughts froze as it just clicked what the boy had said. His fault. Not Umbra's.

"You started the fight?" asked the blonde professor skeptically.

"Yeah, was bugging him to spar with me, obviously was busy, so decided to throw a book at him, which in hindsight may not have been the best move, given the whole, you know." Leif motioned to the bruises beginning to form on his face. The shade wearing girl snickered, as did the giant who loosened his grip slightly since Umbra had stopped struggling. This would have been the perfect moment to run, but running was the last thing on his mind.

Trying to grasp at the reason for Leif attempting to save him was far more mystifying.

* * *

"Wow, you really did a number on me, didn't you partner?" Leif said, gingerly touching his bruises. As usual, Umbra didn't answer, not that he expected him to. Already half an hour had gone by in their detention and not a single word had come out of the boy's mouth. So far, this impromptu plan was going right up near the top of the 'stupid plans' list. Then again, given his shock at running into Umbra in the library and his reaction to the discovery, it wasn't like he was given much to work with.

Leif had to keep trying though. The partners were stuck in an old storage room for another hour and half, just the two of them with stacks of old supplies to record and organize. Thankfully they were left alone, as Professor Alabaster was the one overseeing their detention. The old professor decided neither was a flight risk and let them know he would be down the hall in his office grading papers if they needed him. Leif was worried that Umbra might use their lack of supervision to fight him or run, yet his partner merely nursed his right arm and did the assigned work silently. Getting pinned by that upperclassman seemed to have spooked him.

"How's the arm?"

A glare was shot back.

"I'm being serious. I'm not used to seeing you getting manhandled after all…" His voice petered out as the glaring intensified, making him realize that this line of dialogue was getting him nowhere fast.

"So you like books?" Leif asked, changing tacks. His partner froze as he reached for a box on the upper shelf. The look in his orange eyes had changed. Not a glare, but something else. Almost like fear, but that couldn't be it, not this guy. Which only meant…

"Nothing to be embarrassed over! I like books too, love them even!" he quickly blurted out. Umbra looked taken aback at this, seeming to confirm his theory. This big old macho warrior was a book worm at heart apparently. If it was anyone else, Leif might have even started laughing but he didn't feel like getting pounded twice today. But for the first time, he had something to go on with his partner.

"I've liked reading stories since I was little," he continued, picking up an old textbook. "Hearing them from my grandpa and others was better, but when nobody was around, books were the next best thing." He blew off the dust from cover, revealing an old history book.

"Learning of faraway places, tales and legends of other cultures, the memories of others…it showed me just how much of the world I had yet to see, that I wanted to see. They were an escape; you know?" Leif looked back up at Umbra, hoping to see a sign of kinship. His heart sank at the sight of an all too familiar look instead. Contempt.

"Based on how weak you are; I think you may have escaped reality  _too_  much growing up," Umbra sneered. "It is one thing to gain knowledge, but not at the expense of gaining strength." Strength. Being the best. It always came back to this with Umbra, no matter what the topic. Just hearing it put the screws to his mind. Was this really all he cared about?

"Maybe, but I'm not the only one being called a loser after our 'fight' with CRDL." The sneer rapidly twisted into ire. Not the smartest thing to say perhaps, but damn did it feel good to push his buttons right now.

"I didn't lose." Umbra's hand curled into a fist as he stared down his leader.

"Yet, LUMO was declared the losers of the fight. You're the U on the team, and if the team lost, well…"

"If that fight had gone on just a minute longer- "

"But it didn't." Leif cut him off, not caring about potential consequences now. "Professor Goodwitch ended the match before our team caused even more injuries to ourselves." Both their voices were escalating quickly, but Leif was past the point of caring. This ended today.

"In the real world, there are no professors to control the match. You either learn enough to survive or die quickly!"

"Which is why we train in school, so we can be prepared to go out into the real world, be ready for whatever is out there!" Leif suddenly felt the steel of the shelves pressed into his back as Umbra shoved him.

"You don't think I'm prepared?" Umbra slammed his fist into the metal shelves, causing boxes to fall.

"Why else would you be at Beacon if you weren't?" There was no immediate rebuttal to Leif's surprise. Umbra was seething, but mute.

"Look, I'm just saying that we're all here for a reason. To train and become huntsmen, to be ready to protect the people of Remnant, to become stronger so we can face death-" Air was knocked out from his lungs as Umbra's fist hit home. Leif felt his body rise a few feet off the ground as his throat was crushed under his partner's dark skinned arm. The sole dangling light bulb that illuminated the room seemed to dim even, the shadows practically swallowing the light.

"What would you know about strength? About death? I've faced death a dozen times and each time I came away stronger than ever, yet you, a book loving weakling, wouldn't have the slightest hint at what real danger is like, to have your very life at stake!" Oxygen was suddenly becoming a very precious commodity as Leif's throat was crushed.

"So here, let me show you just how weak you are."


	25. In Another's Shoes

**Library, Beacon Academy**

_**Fifteen minutes earlier….** _

"Seriously, I'm just going to jump him before class even ends. The second Port finishes his lecture, BAM! Punch him right in the nose. That'll get his attention," Mura fumed, pantomiming a jab in the air. Luna didn't blame her, even she was getting frustrated with just how tricky Umbra was to track down.

"Fine way to land you both in detention maybe."

"Yes, but then he'd be stuck in there for at least an hour, plenty of time to chew him out."

"Isn't that technically something Leif's supposed to do as team leader?"

"Well, he can get in line cause that tall blockhead has officially ticked me off," Mura growled as they entered the library. It was practically empty, save for a scattering of students who actually enjoyed the peace and quiet the library offered. Well, usually offered, as her partner's rant echoed around the vacant facility. Luna silently apologized to those whose peace they were disturbing. Hopefully she'd calm down once they started studying.

Finding an empty desk to the side was easy enough as they pulled out their notes and textbooks. An important test was coming up in Professor Alabaster's class towards the end of the week on the basics and theories of semblance control. So far this semester, this class had been the most intriguing to Luna, given that her main reason for even attending Beacon was to find out why her semblance behaved the way it did, not unlike Leif.

"Chapter 4, right? Emotional Stimuli?" Mura asked as she flippantly opened her textbook.

"That's the one." Trying to track Umbra was taking up too much of their time day to day, leaving little time to study. The three of them had decided to put a pin in that plan if nothing came of up by midweek, leading to the current situation. Both girls dug into their books, reading through the material at length.

_While semblances typically are activated through the conscious will of the user, emotions can play various roles in how they function. For instance, intense stimuli through stress or sorrow can negatively affect how a semblance behaves, including activating itself without the consent of the user. This is believed to be caused by the semblance being a manifestation of a person's 'soul', and as the soul is influenced, the semblance is as well._

Professor Alabaster's class was the one Luna took the most interest in, given her situation. While she managed to avoid any more instances of her semblance activating around her teammates, it was almost impossible to keep it down for good. Her heart quivered recalling instances over the past month and a half. A face in the mirror full of suspicion and escapism masked by normality when she ran into Blake in the bathroom. A heavy weight of what seemed to be guilt from the past reflected in the window as she passed Ren with his neutral features visibly showing in the hallway. Each time it happened it seemed more and more hopeless that she would ever control it. This class was her best chance to find the answers that she was desperately seeking.

"Alright, what's taking our glorious leader so long?" her partner complained while rising up slightly to look towards the entrance, snapping Luna out of her thoughts.

"Maybe he went to vent some, like took a walk? It's not just that he's team leader after all, Umbra is his partner too…"

"Still should have told us where he's at."

"They're in detention." Both girls turned suddenly to see magenta eyes peering over the top of a book two tables over, belonging to a rather annoyed looking first year student.

"Wait, just how long were you there Ren?" Mura asked surprised.

"Long enough to see Leif and Umbra have an overly loud confrontation that ended with Leif throwing books and Umbra throwing punches."

"WHAT?" exclaimed her partner as Luna and Ren winced at the loud noise in what was supposed to be a quiet space.

"Yeah, a second year team broke it up before Professor Goodwitch hauled them both off to detention. It was nice to get the library quiet again, at least until now…"

"This is bad Mura. Leif and Umbra in a small room together…"

"We aren't going to have a leader anymore," scoffed Mura, pushing her stuff into her bag as Luna did the same.

"Thanks Ren!" yelled Luna as they ran towards the exit, neither waiting for his response. There was no time to waste. Crossing her fingers that they didn't run across any teachers to stop them from running, the girls twisted and turned through the hallways towards the detention hall. Luna pulled out her scroll to try and call him and saw she had missed a text from her leader.

[lcirci2017 {13:23}]: gonna be in detention with umbra, don't intervene please!

"Is he insane?" Luna blurted out as she showed the message to her partner. "It's like he wants to die!"

"Those two idiots, I swear we'll be lucky to get there in time to keep Umbra from ripping up the corpse." Mura swore. Luna winced at the negative, yet accurate, description. Having seen Umbra spar more than a few times, she could tell he was constantly holding back in class, although even then he was capable of defeating most first years. But given his hatred for Leif and the team...Luna pushed her legs to run faster.

Finally turning the last corner to the hallway that led to the detention hall, the partners slowed right at the windowed door. Peering through the glass, confusion set in at seeing an empty dark room. No Leif. No Umbra.

"Ah hello girls! What brings you two down here this evening?" a deep voice was heard from down the hallway, making them both jump.

"Professor Port, I heard my team members got detention, but no one's here?" Luna asked quickly.

"You heard right! Both boys were sent down to the storage wing to help reorganize some old learning materials. Seemed more appropriate then to leave them sitting in a room if I do say so myself!" the professor explained. "Professor Alabaster is in charge of them I believe-no running in the halls!" Both girls took off running.

"If Alabaster is in charge there is no way he's actually sitting in with them," Luna pointed out as they ran.

"Meaning it's only a matter of time before Umbra snaps," Mura concluded, pulling ahead of Luna, forcing her to run faster. It took the duo another ten minutes to navigate the halls down to the storage wing in the basement level of the school.

"Lights are on in Alabaster's office," Mura noted as they ran past.

"Meaning they're all alone in whatever supply room he left them in."

Most of the rooms were locked up, helping to narrow down the search, but the wing had several parallel hallways to it. Checking each one took time and with each passing second, Luna's worry grew. Deep down she wanted to believe that everything would be fine, but the image in Ozpin's glasses the night of Initiation haunted her now. That face of sheer hatred and contempt that Umbra's reflection had. Her semblance was never wrong.

"Well he's not dead yet," Mura called out tensely, flagging Luna over, peering around the corner of the final hallway. At the very end was an open door with the two male partners standing in what looked to be a face off. Mura moved to approach them when Luna pulled her back.

"Leif said not to intervene."

"Yeah well Leif's an idiot."

"Seriously?"

"Oh come on, even he admits it. Given the chance Umbra will literally kill him."

"Then we'll stop him, but Leif's still leader." Mura grit her teeth at the reply, but didn't try to rise again. Luna wasn't sure herself that this was the right action, but letting Mura rush in now would undermine any sort of positive rapport the three of them had built up in the past week. LUMO would be outright finished at that point.

Both male voices started to get louder, echoing down the hallway. While neither was coherent, the tone was unmistakable. Anger. Hostility. Her furry ears winced as Leif got shoved back into the shelves, as she prayed that she didn't make the wrong choice.

"Why else would you be at Beacon if you weren't?"

"Look, I'm just saying that we're all here for a reason. To train and become huntsmen, to be ready to protect the people of Remnant, to become stronger so we can face death-" A horrified gasp escaped her lips as Umbra shoved up against Leif, pressing down on his throat. Neither girl moved, although she wasn't sure if it was because of faith in Leif or fear of Umbra.

"What would you know about strength? About death? I've faced death a dozen times and each time I came away stronger than ever, yet you, a book loving weakling wouldn't have the slightest hint at what real danger is like, to have your very life at stake!"

"So here, let me show you just how weak you are."

Leif's voice was completely gone at this point. This was no longer something they could sit and watch.

"Alright, so now go save him?" Mura asked, thinking the same thing. Luna nodded as both girls rose to run down the hallway to save their leader from his own partner when both froze in their tracks. If someone were to tell Luna what was happening she would call them a liar. She was practically calling her own eyes liars right now.

Very slowly, step by step, Umbra backing off from Leif.

* * *

Darkness engulfed his vision. Not total darkness, but it was more than enough to block out his sight. It wasn't his semblance, these weren't shadows, but something else.  _*Water flows around me, sinking now, cold water filling lungs, no air left, bubbles rush out*_  Those weren't his thoughts but matched what was happening. His lungs felt empty, his skin cold. Bubbles went up around him from his mouth, but he didn't open it. Wait bubbles? Underwater? Why was he underwater? An unbelievable sharp pain ripped through his body as his head jerked around, out of his control, to see rows of sharp teeth clamped on his.

*' _WHY DOES MY SIDE'- *_  More thoughts that weren't his own, further panicking Umbra. What the hell was happening to him? His vision began to blur.  _*Lots of teeth, all sharp, clamped around my right side, getting blurrier and blurrier, sight darkening*_ ' _can't feel my-'_ * Whose thoughts were these and why couldn't he-suddenly the dark waters vanished replaced by blurry bright lights racing overhead. *"Is he going to be okay?" "We've done everything we can, he needs rest so please step-" "That is my SON!"  _m-mom? Dad? Wet on my arm, tears? my right side hurts so bad, I feel so tired…*_

Darkness engulfed his vision again, yet loud beeping filled his ears. Suddenly a bright white ceiling lit up his view, blurry and out of focus. He could barely make out two strangers who were peering over him, a man and a woman. He knew he didn't know them, but both seemed familiar, comforting. The female seemed to be crying with the male holding her. * _where am I. everything is so blurry, feeling like mush. Crying wha…"_ Honey he's awake!" "Leif, baby are you okay? Mommy's here, it's okay, it's okay now"  _Mom? Dad? What's happening, where-THAT GRIMM!*_ The beeping got louder, throbbing in Umbra's braining, but he was prisoner to whatever he was experiencing. His vision went in and out of focus, his arms flailing, heart racing as though he was in combat. Pain ripped through his side again as a new stranger entered his vision.

*"He's panicking, get me a sedative and painkillers now!" "It's okay son, you're safe now! Just calm down"  _the_ _G_ _rimm, it's teeth, my side hurts so bad, I can't, I-_ "Shhhhhh, we're right here, shhhhh it's gonna be okay baby, your parents are right here, it's gonna be okay"  _warmth. My parents are here. It_ _'_ _s okay. But I never should have- I should have listened*_ So many foreign emotions raced through Umbra, none of them feeling like his own except one he hadn't felt in very long time. Helplessness. Suddenly the light started fading, his body calming down.

* _Mom, Dad. I'm so sorry*_ Then darkness consumed his vision once more, along with an overwhelming feeling of guilt and regret. Suddenly a sharp pain emitted from his skull.

Then suddenly the sight of the dark grey floors filled his view. His breath was short and strained. No explanation for what happened occurred to him, but he felt very wrong inside. Like he had left his body. A tipped over box with its contents spilled out laid in front of him. Was that what hit him?

His brain finally clicked what he was trying to do.

Trying to push back his confusion, he tried to locate his weakling partner. It took only seconds, as he was still on the ground only a few feet away, struggling to get to his knees. His body shimmered red, telltale signs of weak, almost broken Aura. Yet his face had changed. It was no longer one of a beaten soul, but one of resolve. The same one he wore the day they met in the forest. It clicked.

Leif's Aura was draining despite Umbra not laying constant attacks on him, during those visions.

Leif's semblance did that to him.

' _That was his memory'_  Umbra tried to move forward, but his body was still trying to process the rush of alien emotions and feelings he just went through. He heard Leif clear his throat, saw him looking him in the eyes. His hand had shakily pulled up his ragged shirt, making the scars on his right visible to anyone looking. Umbra's own side winced in pain in the exact same place. The pain he felt from the memory.

"I've faced death before. I know what it's like to be powerless and afraid." Shut up shut up shut up, Umbra wanted to scream. But his voice was still missing.

"That's probably why I came to Beacon, deep down. Almost losing my life nearly a decade ago, the anguish I put my parents through. No one should have to feel that kind of emotion. So it's why I won't give up. Not now, not ever. Not even against you."

This conviction was deafening to Umbra's thoughts. Every conceived notion about Leif Circinus was that he was a cowardly weakling, unfit to be a warrior, much less a leader. Yet, they all were falling flat at the sight before him. His thoughts wrestled with themselves, his hands locked in fists. This was all too much, he just wanted it all to go away.

"So I'll just have to put you down for good," Umbra spat out, grinding his teeth. Anger flared as Leif just laughed again, dismissingly waving his hand from his prone position.

"I'd rather you not. But I have a better idea if you feel like listening for once in your damn life." Listening was the last thing he wanted to do, but the phantom pain he felt on his ribs was etched in his mind, Leif's pain. Looking back at Leif, flashes of that white room, loud beeping and crying adults ripped through his mind. The regret, the guilt, among other emotions that he didn't quite know because he had never felt them before. The memory flashes had ended quickly, but the emotions were left behind. Leif's emotions.

"And what would that be?"

Leif sat up, looking him in the eyes, with a small grin.

* * *

"What the fuck just happened?" Mura explicitly asked, not bothering to censor herself and not expecting an answer from her equally stunned partner. Luna would have chastised her over it if the tone wasn't so fitting. Both remained hidden down the hall as they observed the two males talking, their voices out of earshot.

"Did you know he even had those scars?"

"No, Leif never mentioned it once," Luna answered, still surprised. Out of the four of them, Leif was the last person she would have suspected of harboring secrets. Yet, it was whatever he did to Umbra that really concerned her. As much as she liked him, there was no way he could beat the stronger first year. Yet it was the look on Umbra's face that was nagging at her, it seemed familiar.

' _The day I met Leif'_  It clicked instantly at that thought. Leif had a similar out of mind look, which he pinned on his semblance. But his semblance only worked on him…unless he left something out.

"So are you two down here to try and help your teammates with their detention?" Luna whirled around to see an elderly professor looking down at the girls. Despite the accusation, his wrinkled features looked more curious than cross.

"In our defense, we haven't actually helped them," Mura quickly said, causing Professor Alabaster to chuckle as he peered around the corner to check on his charges.

"I suspect that may they may have just helped them all the same," he remarked cryptically. Luna peered back around the corner to see both boys back at work, neither seemingly acknowledging each other again.

"Now run along, lest they discover you both when I relieve them of their detention assignments for the night."

"But-" Mura started to object but Luna nudged her partner and shook her head. Both girls headed back to the dorms, trying to process what went down.

"It just doesn't make sense. What the hell did Leif do to make Umbra back down like that?" Mura questioned for the hundredth time as they rode the elevator back up. Luna didn't bother answering since she honestly had nothing to say.

Whatever happened down there, one thing was for sure. There was more to their team leader than they thought.


	26. Rematch

**Amphitheater, Beacon Academy**

"You know, when I said 'let's mix it up this time', getting beat in a different way was not what I meant," groaned Opal Wilki as she gingerly massaged her shoulder walking up the stairs.

"In my defense, it was your partner that let Blake get around your flank," Nick El-Mai remarked, casually pointing behind him.

"Only to save your ass from getting sniped," grunted Hiki Dravite.

"Well maybe if Beryl-"

"Man, it almost sounds like you want to be smacked upside the head again. Wonder who hits harder, me or Yang?" The tiny mole nosed Faunus girl growled from behind, trying to act tough despite the limp she walked with. Opal smiled despite herself. While most other would be troubled by this sort of bickering within a team, most teams didn't have the long standing history that OBDN had. Childhood friends may be too strong a phrase, but childhood acquaintances seemed far too much of an understatement. Regardless, this bickering between teammates was pretty tame, all things in the past considered.

' _Not like the probable train wreck we're about to witness'_  she mused as they reached the somewhat crowded stands above the amphitheater. The next match on the docket was the rematch between Teams CRDL and LUMO. Of all the first year teams, LUMO was by far considered the most dysfunctional. Individually, they were fine people, with the possible exception of the rarely seen and highly antisocial Umbra. Murasaki and Luna she'd go as far to consider a bit more than just classmates; both were fairly amiable and social, although they certainly had their quirks. Heck, Leif she'd even go as far to say was a friend, after working on leader assignments together so much. The kid definitely had a talented mind to make up for his lack of basic huntsman skills. That said, it was the lack of skills that made his position of Team LUMO's leader incredibly questionable…especially after their first team match at the beginning of the semester.

"The next match will be LUMO versus CRDL, both teams take your places!" Professor Goodwitch announced from her spot in the stands.

"How cringe worthy do you think this ought a be?" Beryl Frietton wondered aloud.

"Can't be any worse than the first go around," Opal remarked, trying to keep a neutral tone.

"Yeah, but this is LUMO. Have you even seen all four of them train together, even once?"

"At least this will make us feel ten times better about our match," Nick curtly laughed. Opal was tempted to chastise him, but let it slide since it went unheard from the surrounding students. They were far more interested in the argument taking place down on the floor. Already, it looked like Mura was arguing with Leif over something with Luna trying to calm her down. Umbra seemed to ignore the three as usual. The members of CRDL looked on from across the stage, their faces worry free. Hard to blame them, given their opponents.

Opal stole a glance at Professor Goodwitch, who had a noticeable scowl at how unprepared LUMO looked before hitting the countdown. CRDL got set when they saw the countdown. LUMO kept bickering.

At the sound of the buzzer, the match began very much like the last one, with Umbra charging head on without waiting.

"OH COME ON MAN!" shouted Leif in frustration, stamping his foot. He turned to say something to Mura only to have the purple haired girl take off as well. Nothing had changed in almost two months; Leif still had nearly zero control over his team. The sole member left was Luna who like last time was directed to back up her partner while Leif backed up his.

"Hey we're allowed to leave if it's a repeat lesson, right?" Nick humorously asked.

"I wish, this hurts to watch," Beryl remarked, Hiki grunting in agreement. Opal was about to agree as well when something caught her eye. Her teammates drew confused looks as she leaned forward, eyes narrowing. CRDL was doing the same thing they did before, splitting off Dove and Russel to take on Mura and Luna while the other two focused on the males of LUMO. Totally fit Cardin's logic of 'well if it worked once', but it was Leif's reaction that was different then their first match.

The leader of LUMO was smiling.

* * *

' _One of these days, we'll just use orthodox plans with orthodox tactics'_  Leif swore as he ran forward in Umbra's wake. Then again, trying to lead this team with what seemed orthodox failed miserably, so time to once again go with a really stupid plan.

"Umbra, do it now!" he shouted.

Umbra complied, to the surprise of nearly the entire room.

Pivoting before reaching Cardin, he struck his staffs against one another, sending a fire bolt across the stage. Not at the targets in front of him, but to his right. Russel and Dove split apart to avoid the attack, only to realize after the rolling away that the shot never connected.

In their place was a shield wielding girl, both her weapons red hot as they absorbed Umbra's Dust. Fear dawn on them as they realized what was about to happen. Mura just smiled as the metal covers slid aside.

A guilty pleasure coursed through Leif at Cardin's shocked expression as both Russel and Dove tumbled across the ground from cannon fire. The shock quickly faded to anger as he tried to make up for those hits by attacking Umbra, only to find him gone, with flying arrows left in his place. Leif and Umbra had already begun to move from the moment Umbra shot fire Dust across the field. CRDL wouldn't be confused for long, but LUMO had one solid advantage.

No one at Beacon Academy had seen all four of them fight together.

Leif curved left behind Umbra, heading for the only untouched member of CRDL, Sky, who was bewildered at the sight before him. It was only after the first hail of bullets that the long haired member of CRDL realized Leif was on him. Steel met steel as the two engaged.

So far so good.

* * *

"Alright, I'll say it. Who the hell are these guys and what did they do with LUMO?"

Opal had the same question. This was an entirely different team from the one who fought CRDL previously. They looked the same, sounded the same, sure, but this working together thing was new. The rest of crowd was at a loss for words as well, expecting another snafu.

Leif was managing to hold his own against Sky. Despite him being a novice, Sky was unable to gain ground on him, with the swordsman managing to keep him on the defensive. Luna continued to fire arrow after arrow at both Cardin and Russel, her aim staying steady between targets. This allowed Umbra and Mura moved unimpeded across the battleground, with Umbra closing the distance quickly on Dove. The short haired warrior barely set his footing before Umbra brought his staffs to bear on his body. Behind those two, Mura sprinted towards Leif and Sky, her left shield behind her back, her right out in front.

She must have shouted something to Leif as he ducked and rolled backwards, leaving an open Sky to be bashed backwards into the wall, a buzzer sounding to indicate he was KO'd. Without wasting time, Murasaki was already turning, the metal cover sliding away on her left shield. Cannon fire exploded, sending solid balls of lightning towards Cardin's backside. Thanks to her partner distracting his attention, the poor giant never saw it coming, the lightning zapping away his strength as he collapsed, still in the fight but just barely.

A loud crash drew the audience's attention back to the other side of the field as Umbra was now engaged with both Russel and Dove. Perhaps 'engaged' was a bit strong a word, mopping the floor with them was more accurate. Dark staffs twirling around, neither dagger nor blade could come close to hitting the dark skinned warrior. Every attempt they made was answered by a solid series of blows from both staff and body, Umbra using every part of himself as a weapon. As both slid back from a roundabout swing, his head jerked suddenly, eyes on Leif who was shouting something, lost in the din to the crowd. Opal saw a glare appear for a moment, then vanish as the teen slammed his staffs together and took off running-away from Dove and Russel. Passing by Mura running in the opposite direction with Luna, his target became apparent; a suppressed Cardin under fire from Leif. While the leader's bullets lacked firepower, they made up for in annoyance due to the sheer number, forcing Cardin to use every trick in the book to block them with his mace.

So annoying were they that Cardin failed to see where the real knockout blow was coming from. The bullets stopped; Umbra's swing didn't. Cardin's body rag-dolled as the staff connected with his upper body, flying into the back wall. The buzzer sounded again, indicating that like Sky, he was out of the match. The rest of the first years were no longer astonished, now actively cheering for the upset that was occurring.

"Who would have thought?" murmured Hiki. High praise from the normally stoic miner's son. Fitting nonetheless; if someone had told Opal that this was going to happen, she would have laughed them out of the room. While the match wasn't over yet, it seemed to be a foregone conclusion with it now being four versus two.

Mura had reengaged Russel, with Luna keeping Dove in check. Both boys were fighting their hardest, but it was in vain. Leif closed the gap with Dove, locking swords with him, allowing Luna to turn her attention to her partner. Her eyes narrowed as she flowed Dust from her quiver into a red arrow on her bow. Pausing for a moment to lock in, the wolf Faunus let loose, watching the arrow fly through the air. Her face tensed suddenly; the arrow exploded just behind Russel, pitching him forward. Mura took full advantage of the opening to swing both her arms around over top, bringing both shields down the boy's back, slamming him into the ground. A third buzzer sounded, yet partially went unheard as the attention was back on the dueling swordsman.

Unlike Sky, Dove was far more talented, much more on par with the top half of the first years. This showed quickly as Leif was getting beat left and right, unable to counter effectively. A sideswipe to his leg forced him to the ground as Dove smashed his blade down on his back, only his Aura saving him. As Dove moved to finish him off, he was suddenly yanked back into the air. His face twisted into distress as he realized his assailant, then pain as Umbra threw him over his head. Before he could hit the ground, Umbra's staff connected with his own back, slamming him into the ground much like he had done to Leif seconds earlier, but this time with the sound of a buzzer attached. Opal tensed as Umbra made another move to strike the downed Dove but suddenly he stopped, again glaring at Leif, who was still struggling to rise but staring at his partner, saying something.

"The match is over! Team LUMO is the victor," Professor Goodwitch concluded loudly, quickly drowned out by applause. Team OBDN joined others standing, all of them sharing the same amazed look. They weren't perfect, and despite their coordinated tactics they still didn't seem completely united as evidenced by Umbra walking towards to the exit, leaving Mura and Luna to collect his struggling partner. Against a more competent team that didn't underestimate them, LUMO probably would have lost again. Today however, was a good sign they might turn out okay.

Better than a train-wreck at the very least.

* * *

"That should help our grades out quite a bit," Leif remarked as the girls helped him out of the amphitheater. Mura and Luna both had taken hits but largely stayed healthy, neither of their Aura dipping below fifty percent. His partner of course, made it out with barely any scratches, his Aura not even losing ten percent. Yet Leif went just a hair below the half way mark, another sign that he had a long way to go to get to their level. His back was sore, arms aching, but this outcome beat being knocked out by his own partner like last time.

Said partner was pulling much farther ahead now, likely moving to leave the group since they were the last match of the class.

"Umbra, mind helping us here!" shouted Mura, annoyed. "He's your partner after all, or are going back to ditching us?" Umbra slowed without turning around, yet Leif saw his fist clenching.

"Nah, it's fine Mura," he suddenly called out, feeling his body almost drop as Luna and Mura reacted in shock. Umbra actually came to a stop and looked back over his shoulder, eyes squaring off with Leif's.

"Wait what? We just finally started acting like a team and you're okay with him just running off all over again?"

"He'll catch up with us later, I'm sure," Leif affirmed, not taking his eyes off Umbra. "It's fine." Normally unreadable, Umbra's face was clearly gauging Leif's tone, although it was clear he was replaying their talk from the other day in his mind. Leif gave a nod, trying to reassure him that he would uphold his part of bargain. At this, the taller teen looked forward again and resumed walking. Yet before he was out of sight, he looked back again, meeting Leif's eyes, and gave a small nod before moving out of sight, bringing a small smile to his partner's face. Still a very long way to go between them all, but it was a start.

More importantly, for the first time LUMO, felt like a real team. That was more than enough for Leif now.


	27. Weekend Plans

**Forever Falls, Vale**

Umbra's hope for a silent ride back to Beacon were dashed moments after getting on the Bullhead.

"So ummmmm, whatdya think happened to Cardin?" Luna asked in a low tone to her teammates.

"My guess? Someone finally stood up to him." Mura snickered as the larger first year staggered into the Bullhead behind his team. While no injuries were visible, it was evident that CRDL's leader was shaken up about something.

"Hope the other person is okay."

"They better be, considering how weak Cardin is," Umbra grunted. The rest of the team shot him daggered eyed looks, but he ignored them. Cardin may be a handful for them, but hardly a challenge for a warrior like himself. A slight jerk through the hull signaled the airship lifting off, beginning its journey back to Beacon.

There were very few he actually considered worth his time amongst the first years; glancing around the ship, Umbra noted the three he put above the rest of the class. Numbers three and two were sitting next to each other, Blake and her partner Yang. The quiet black haired girl had far more experience then she seemed to let on, yet she had yet to realize the Vacuo native had long since figured out the secret behind her bow. On the flip side, there were no secrets to discover of Yang's, he merely respected her raw power and strength, which could probably match his own. However, unlike him, she lacked refinement, preferring to rely only on brute force, missing the strategic teachings that had been drilled into him since childhood.

Which is why the one who held the number one spot on his list is the only one who would give him reason to hesitate. Sitting across from him was the ever cheery Pyrrha Nikos, considered to be the top student of their year. Tactics, strength, endurance, name it and she had it. In fact, apart from her sickening positivity, Umbra had yet to discern any real flaws in her combat style. Despite this, he relished the chance to fight her head on. The fact that she seemed so perfect made him wonder if the fates that be had stuck her on the weakling Jaune's team for the sole reason of handicapping her. It certainly seemed like it; after all, he seemed to be stuck with Leif for the same reason.

It was almost amusing; the strongest warriors paired with the weakest ones. The universe had a twisted sense of humor. An elbow jabbing his arm gained his attention.

"Remnant to Umbra, you awake there, sleepy head?" Mura smirked, fanning his anger. Ever since their rematch with CRDL, the rest of the team had started to get grossly familiar.

"No thanks to you," he growled, keeping his gaze straight ahead.

"Good, means you're listening. We were planning to do team practice this afternoon instead of this weekend, you in?" Umbra groaned. That was the other annoying thing that had been occurring since the rematch: team activities. If it wasn't for the deal he had made with Leif, he would have just straight up ignored her, but…the risk to his mission was too much.

"Fine, but only after dinner."

"Ah come on man, it sucks trying to fight on a full stomach."

"Take it or leave it."

"You know, we could just take a vote on-"

"That's fine Umbra, after dinner it is," Leif suddenly called out, silencing a stunned Mura. Umbra glanced over at the team leader, who met his gaze with a knowing look and nodded. Mura and the silent Luna glanced back and forth between the two, confusion evident, yet no questions were asked. They likely figured that conceding to his demands was just the weakling's way of trying to keep the team together.

No way would they realize that Leif was simply following the deal they made. Leif knew as well as Umbra did that the library closed after dinner. Normally it wouldn't be issue, one would just go the next day, but if Umbra was going to be stuck in this agreement, he was going to be stubborn about it. This meant in exchange for gracing them with his presence at team practices, Umbra could spend an equal amount of time in the library, no questions asked.

Surprisingly, Leif had upheld his end of the bargain. This meant no matter what his personal feelings were, Umbra would uphold his end. Let no one say that he lacked honor in his words.

* * *

**Beacon Academy Landing Pads**

Not two minutes after landing, and Umbra already vanished from the group, not that Leif didn't know where to find him. Despite the high tension between the two, their deal still seemed to be holding up. What was more surprising was the lack of questions from the girls, especially from Mura. While both seemed shocked that Umbra actually showed up to team meetings and practices now, they both apparently decided to take the approach of not looking a gift horse in the mouth.

"Well we got time to kill I guess, want to get a head start on Professor Peach's homework?" Mura suggested, hands behind her head.

"That works for-," Leif's answer was interrupted by a sudden buzz in his pocket. Pulling out his scroll, he frowned at seeing the caller ID. Home. Then again, he had kinda been expecting this.

"Hang on, sorry gotta take this," he said, slowing down. This should be fun. Hopefully it was his dad wanting to have a friendly chat-

"Hey sweetie!" spoke a female voice cheerily through the phone. Well there goes that hope.

"He-hey mom, how are you?"

"Oh you know, hanging in there. The house feels emptier than usual right now, with you gone and the busy season starting." With the water slowly growing warmer with the summer weather, schools of fish had begun to slowly migrate through Remnant's oceans, meaning plenty of opportunities for fisherman like Leif's father to land some big hauls. However, this meant he would be gone for a few days, if not a whole week, while tracking down schools with other fishermen. While sticking together might mean reducing each other's catch, and therefore income, it greatly increased their safety from storms and Grimm attacks. Not that that reduced the worry of the families left behind.

"Did he say how long he'd be gone?"

"You know he never knows for sure honey."

"True…." An awkward silence formed, although Leif had a feeling as to what was coming next.

"So I was thinking we could do lunch this weekend, could meet at  _Cornucopia Café_ , my treat." Leif's first instinct was to invent an excuse but he caught himself. He had yet to face his parents since leaving for Beacon over two months ago, mainly because it would be far harder to avoid explaining everything that had gone on with him in person. Yet he could tell by his mother's voice that she missed him, and with his dad out at sea for however long, it would be terrible of him to avoid her once more.

"Yeah sure, that would be fun," he answered, trying to sound enthusiastic.

"Great! Oh, and you better bring that team of yours along too, it'll be my treat."

Well shit.

"Umm I'll ask them, but I don't know if they'll be free, you know school work and all," his voice trailed off as he rattled off his excuse. There was an audible sigh heard on the other side.

"Alrighty well at least you'll ask. Well I've got to go, Mrs. Chartes and I are heading to the market together. See you at one on Saturday honey! Love you!"

"Love you too mom." The call ended with a quiet beep and a deep sigh from Leif. As much as he hated lying to his mother, it was probably best she didn't meet the team. Luna might be fine, but just bringing one person would mean too many questions and the last thing he needed was-

"Sooooo ask us what?" Leif shook in surprise, whipping around to see the girls giving him an odd look. Damn it.

"Ask you if youuuuu wanted tooooo you knooooooow skip…team…practice…today?" Mental face palm. Terrible excuse.

"Uh huh, yeah, you want to try that again chief?" Mura snorted, rolling her eyes. Screw it.

"Well that was my mother…she wants to do lunch in town this weekend and wants me to bring you all."

"That's nice of her," Luna smiled. "Sounds like it would be fun, right Mur-Mura?" Her partner had noticeably recoiled and had taken two steps back. A horrified expression seemed to show, but vanished moments later into one of mixed emotions.

"Ah ye-yeah, I mean sure, but there's homework to do, and uh…stuff."

"I mean, you don't have to come if you don't want to," Leif quickly said. "The odds that Umbra will even consider the idea for even a second are practically nonexistent."

"No it's not that, I just, umm…" Mura trailed off, looking anywhere but her teammates. Leif started to speak when a shaking of Luna's head shut his mouth. Her eyes rolled off to the right, likely trying to signal to let her handle this. True, Leif and Mura's rapport had improved from the beginning of the semester, however there were still road blocks to overcome. In those moments, the team leader had found it was best to leave it to the wolf Faunus to handle.

With a slight nod, Leif put his faith into Luna and headed off to the library to fight his own battle.


	28. A Reason to Go

**Cliffs Overlooking Vale, Beacon Academy**

A half hour of wordless wandering passed before they finally stopped at the edge of one of the many cliffs overlooking the city. This was nothing new for the girls; Mura found it to be the best way for her to gather her thoughts before she and Luna spoke. Although, when it happened the few times in the past, it was typically venting about Leif or Umbra…not this particular subject matter. For issues with the team, discussion made sense.

However, there were no logical excuses, for why Murasaki didn't want to go into the city. At least none that she could tell her partner, much less her team. Just another case of her secret past biting her in the ass. Part of her had even considered opening up a bit more, to Luna at least, but every time her fear of being sent home overrode it. It was this same fear that was driving her to reject Leif's offer to lunch in the city. Lots of people, plenty of cameras; if just one Atlas affiliated person saw her it could mean game over. No Luna, no LUMO, no freedom, just a literal caged cell back home under the guise of 'safety'.

"So do you really not want to go?" Luna suddenly asked, causing Mura to jump slightly despite her quiet tone.

"It's not that…I just…" She just what? There was still no answer.

"I mean, I get that you might be worried that Leif talked to his parents about our team issues, but I'm sure his mom won't bring it up." The silence from earlier resumed for a full ten seconds until Mura's brain processed what was said.

"No but-wait what?"

"That's why you don't want to go right? I mean sure it might be awkward, but things are better now, so I'm sure it won't be too bad." Mura was dumbfounded. Luna just unintentionally bailed her out. A guilty sense of relief filled her.

"Yeah maybe, but I don't want to risk it you know?" Mura lied, carrying on the story Luna had laid out. "Don't want to embarrass him or anything." Her fingers were mentally crossed as she watched Luna's eyes ponder her words. More guilt tinged relief flowed as the Faunus's shoulders slumped in resignation.

"I guess…" The sad look hit Mura harder than she expected. But it was necessary, she couldn't risk-

"But how about this? We go into town anyways, shop around just the two of us, then see how you feel?" Luna suggested, with reaffirmed confidence. "If you still don't want to go, then you can head back." Mura tried her best not to let her conflicted emotions show. Now she really had no excuse for why she didn't want to go into town.

"Come on, it'll be fun. I've never actually been to a big city before, heck, I've never even visited Mistral proper before." Her heart tugged at her mind to accept the invitation despite its fears. Here again was another unspoken similarity between the girls; she had never visited Atlas proper either, never exactly done the whole 'shopping' experience…her mother just bought things locally or ordered online. Her eyes drifted back to view the city down below.

' _It's been over two months now…_ ' she realized. No incidents, no close calls, nothing to warrant concern that her mother or anyone who may be looking for her knew where she was.

"But I mean, if you want to keep yourself locked up here-"

"Yeah let's do it!" The words were out of her mouth before Murasaki realized what she was saying. Luna was taken aback, but with a smile. Her partner's words sparked something in her, a shift in direction.

She came to Beacon to escape being locked away, yet she was coming close to locking herself up instead. Time to live a little.

* * *

**Beacon Academy Library**

No. Nope. No. Not it. Read it. That too. That one as well. Negative.

Umbra shoved book after book aside, soon realizing he cleared yet another shelf of books over the past few days. Five days, five shelves of useless tomes with nothing pertaining to his quest. Given how few shelves were left in this section, he was finally starting to be concerned that there may not be any relevant information here. This meant no leads, nowhere to try next, just stuck at square one.

Infuriating didn't even begin to describe it.

"Hey, so don't get mad, but-" Anger flaring, Umbra whirled to see Leif with a very panicked look on his face, hands in the air. Why the hell was he here?

"I'm not asking questions or looking at what you're doing, just need to…errr…ask you questions. But not about that!" he blurted out. That didn't lessen Umbra's anger in the slightest.

"And it couldn't wait?"

"Well no, because of…reasons." As much as Umbra wanted to just leave, punch him, or preferably both, a tiny part of him welcomed the distraction from his lack of progress. Even if that distraction was in the form of a scrawny weakling.

"Then ask, and make it quick!" Eyebrow raised in surprise, Leif quickly recomposed himself.

"Soooooo my mom wants to have lunch with the team this weekend, down in Vale-"

"No."

"Would you at least let me finish?" Leif asked, annoyance actually evident in his voice. Now it was Umbra's turn to feel some minor surprise. There was a time when him saying no would be the end of the conversation but it seemed Leif had gotten a bit bolder. Again, his rage grew as he wasn't sure if he felt anger at that or was just a tad bit impressed. Lacking any words to respond, Umbra gave a curt nod.

"Look I know you have zero interest in something like this, but my mom is just going to hound me on it if I show up alone, so if you show up for like a few minutes then leave with some excuse, that would be perfect okay?"

"You done?"

"Well kinda-"

"No."

"Figured you'd say that, which is why I didn't come here empty handed." Umbra's eyes narrowed, looking over Leif. No backpack, didn't seem to have anything in his pockets or hidden in his casual wear. What could he have brought to persuade him?

"Errr no, I mean, it's not exactly a physical thing, more of a…anyways," Leif stammered, apparently noticing Umbra's stare down. "I noticed you are not exactly finding whatever it is that you're looking for."

"And what gave you that impression?"

"Uhhhhh….." Leif's eyes went to the floor at Umbra's feet. A glance down revealed all the books he had just pulled to ground. Oh.

"That means nothing."

"Of course it doesn't, but what if I knew of a place with a wider selection of books that were rarer and more likely to have whatever obscure thing you seem to be looking for?" The simmering anger froze over as his mind processed what was said. This could be just the break he was looking for.  _The Legend of Lightless Night_ was an old Skugga tale, and as such, didn't seem to be covered anywhere here considering how reclusive and hostile the tribe was to the outside world. Made sense that a big school library would lack knowledge on it…but a place that specializes in that sort of thing just might work.

Umbra frowned. Despite his excitement, this information came at the hands of Leif. True, the boy didn't actually ask any questions about what he was searching for, but the fact this is the second time now that he had strayed close to Umbra's ulterior goal was troubling.

"And I suppose you won't tell me where it is until after this lunch?"

"No, I'll take you there beforehand." Another surprise.

"What's to stop me from just refusing to go then?"

"Nothing I suppose…I'd just like to have faith in my partner I guess." Leif sheepishly shrugged, meeting Umbra's eyes. His eyes showed no maliciousness, no deception. It sickened him that someone could be so naïve…and yet, compared to the environment he grew up in, Umbra found it oddly refreshing to not have to be on guard against all things.

"Still, no questions will be asked?" Umbra finally spoke.

"Not even one."

"And the owner of this place…he can be trusted?"

"I trust him, for whatever that counts."

"And this lunch place will have good meat?"

"Ye-i-what?"

"This place your…mother…is meeting us at, it will have good meat, right?" Leif broke out into a fit of laughter, which normally annoyed him intensely. And yet…Umbra only found himself mildly bothered.


	29. Making Their Way Downtown

**Air Bus to Market Square, Vale**

"Soooooooo… this isn't totally awkward, right?" LUMO's team leader joked weakly, pointing out the obvious. The oppressive silence on the airbus was the only answer, besides the hum of the engines. Luna was still in shock that all four of them were actually here. Leif and her were no brainers, obviously, but up until departure she still wasn't convinced that Mura was actually going to show. The real shock was the very silent, very out of place, very awkward looking Umbra, who looked at none of them and merely stared out the window.

To make matters weirder, both him and Mura were armed, albeit her partner with only  _Dusk_.

"Is the weapon really needed?" Leif asked, still trying to fight back the silence. The question earned a scathing looking from his partner.

"Why would I want to be unarmed?"

"Because Vale is pretty safe?"

"You're naïve if you really-"

"That, and I figured you'd be more confident in your abilities to take down any foe without needing an actual weapon," Leif finished with a slight sense of amusement. Umbra's low growl was echoed by snickering from Mura; even Luna found herself suppressing a giggle. A month ago, before their rematch with CRDL, there was no chance of their leader ever making a joke like that to his short fused partner, but somehow, against all odds, things had changed quite a bit since then. It wasn't perfect, plenty of tension and conflicting attitudes, but it seemed that the infighting had passed for-

"So why is it that  _she_  gets a pass for having a weapon then?" Umbra growled, attempting to fan the flames. Well, the worst of the infighting seemed to be over, but between Umbra, Murasaki, and Leif, things still got heated at times.

"Because  _she_  is looking for new gloves to wear in combat, so having, you know, the thing she does combat with, is kinda important." Mura answered for her leader, hefting  _Dusk_  up to illustrate her point. Orange eyes glared in response, but no vocal retort was issued. Shaking her head in tired amusement, Luna glanced back out the window at the city below. Vale was divided into districts based on roles, which was aided further by the rivers that broke the city roughly into thirds. They were currently traveling over the main residential area, row after row of houses and apartments where countless people lived. Coming from the small village of Yorugao, she was used to being able to traverse the whole village in less than an hour. Here she could spend a whole day and still not have seen a quarter of the city.

"You seem easily impressed," remarked her partner, now also glancing out the window.

"It's just so big. How does anyone find anything in all of this?"

"I suspect if you grew up here, it's probably quite easy. Even Umbra looks more interested in what's out there than Leif." Glancing over her shoulder, the Faunus saw their leader resting up against the window, evidently half asleep. Mura was likely spot on, this ride being routine for him traveling around- suddenly his reflection shimmered as her aura suddenly began to slowly drain. A half sleeping face twisted into a nervous expression, filled with anxiety and panic, forming quite the contrast to Leif's actual look. Digging her nails into leggings, Luna winced in pain, trying to quell her rouge semblance before anyone noticed. Five long seconds passed before the drain on her aura shut off, Leif's true reflection shimmering away.

Nervously glancing around, a small sense of relief filled her as it seemed nobody had noticed. This was the second time since Initiation that her semblance had gone active on her teammates, something she had always taken great pains to avoid happening, especially after that unsettling incident with Umbra in the hallway. Despite learning more and more about Aura and Semblance in her classes, nothing seemed to keep it contained. All Luna could do was hope and pray it would stay off around those she cared about.

The next fifteen minutes of flight went by wordlessly until the airbus started its descent at the station. The intercom crackled to life, with a calm female voice filling the cabin.

"Now arriving at Market Square. Next stop, Coastal Shores. Please mind the ramp while departing." Luna got to her feet along with her teammates, exiting the airbus as people moved to fill the now empty seats. The station was open air, allowing for the sight of the square to fill her view. Small gardens encircled the stone tiling, forming an inner and outer ring, the inner featuring a large fountain and the outer was lined with various shops and restaurants. Civilians bustled about, some in uniform carrying boxes and others in casual clothes carrying shopping bags. Just like the view from above, the sight was breathtaking compared to her upbringing.

"The  _Cornucopia Café_ is over there." Leif pointed across the square to a quaint looking café with outdoor seating. "Let's meet back here in an hour and a half?"

"Wait, we're splitting up?" Mura asked with one eyebrow raised, vocalizing exactly what Luna was thinking. The wolf Faunus caught a glimpse of an annoyed scowl from Umbra. Seemed that he was promised to be left alone in exchange for coming.

"Y-yeah, figured we all had different things we wanted to see, so…" Leif trailed off as Umbra began to walk off, apparently done with the conversation already. Luna gave a small warm smile to her leader, trying to relax him.

"An hour and a half then, got it."

"Whatever, works for me," Mura agreed, scanning around the shops, almost looking a bit too serious.

"Gotcha, well just call me if you get lost!" Leif teased as he jogged off, Mura rolling her eyes while Luna giggled. Always something different with him. She just hoped they would all be able to relax today; a change of pace could do them all some good.

* * *

**Market Square, Vale**

' _Why the hell would that idiot run off despite having no idea where-'_  this thought was yanked backwards along with his body as he passed an alleyway. Struggling around, attempting to see his assailant, Leif found himself completely outmatched strength wise, practically like he was fighting… his body went motionless as he realized who his 'attacker' was.

"As usual, you prove you wouldn't last two seconds in the real world," a familiar condescending voice spoke as Umbra emerged from the shadows. His black full body tunic blended perfectly with the shadows of the alley, meaning Leif would have been none the wiser if the giant chose to remain hidden.

"To be fair, exactly what dangers am I supposed to be surviving in the middle of the city? Other than a combat-obsessed partner I mean," Leif replied with some snark, rolling his eyes as he started off towards their destination without waiting for a response. Sure, Vale wasn't a completely safe haven between petty criminals and crime lords such as Roman Torchwick at large, but for a local like Leif, keeping away from dangerous areas was a breeze. Glancing over his shoulder to make sure Umbra didn't decide to ditch, he was a little surprised to see the curious expression on his face. The normally stoic teenager's head was on a swivel, eyes darting around examining everyone in sight, the tall buildings, and everything in between. Compared to his cold composure in the wilds of the Emerald Forest or Forever Fall, this unsettled look was actually mildly amusing.

"First time in a city?" Leif asked, taking a chance to try and have some conversation. He had no fears of getting lost while distracted by his partner, his legs on an autopilot developed by years of exploring Vale as a child.

"Yes, I've never seen a place quite so populated before."

"O-oh really? What kind of sights are you used to?"

"Nothing so permanent, due to-" shock crossed Umbra's face for a moment before he scowled, silencing himself. Leif merely chuckled, bemused at catching his partner with his guard down for a moment. No need to rile up his partner further, despite his deepening curiosity. Out of the three members of LUMO, he only really knew of Luna's origins, hailing from the Kingdom of Mistral, or rather, a small village by the name of Yurogao. Murasaki and Umbra's past remained huge question marks, due to actual conversations with Umbra being almost unheard of and him knowing better than to ask Mura too many questions.

These thoughts were pushed to the side as they turned down 27th street. 270, 272, 274, not too much farther, something Leif was thankful for given Umbra's mood. He slowed to stop as they reached 282,  _Tukson's Book Trade_.

"This the place?" Umbra asked, still rotating his head around like a top.

"Yep, best bookstore in Vale as far as I'm concerned."

"It better be."

"Seriously? Making threats over a book store now?" scoffed Leif as he pulled the door open, heading inside. Books lined the walls, all of various sizes and thickness. Memories of his first few visits here surfaced, coming inside with his grandfather leading the way, picking out new books to read. Good times.

"Well there's a face I haven't seen in quite a while," a welcoming voice called out from the back of the store. Glancing over the book stands in the middle of the store, Leif smiled at seeing the familiar face of the store's owner, Tukson himself. The Faunus entrepreneur had always been a one-man operation here, and while the guy could seem a bit distant, he knew books better than anyone.

"Sorry 'bout that, been busy," he sheepishly answered, heading to the counter, "especially considering I'm a first year at Beacon now."

"Beacon eh? That would certainly explain your absence, too busy slaying Grimm to buy books now," Tukson chuckled, before glancing up at the giant behind Leif. "Who's your friend?" Umbra snorted at being referred to as a 'friend' but Leif ignored him.

"This is, uh, this is my partner Umbra Imaly," he answered, again ignoring the low growl, likely irrationally angry at him using his full name. "He was having a hard time finding something, so I figured you might be of help."

"Is that right?" Tukson remarked, giving Umbra a full up and down look. A bit of nervousness crept back into Leif's mind, not sure how Umbra would react to the wary shopkeeper. Despite his fears, Umbra remained docile, yet still serious looking.

"Well I find no reason to complain, especially after the last person you brought here became such a valuable customer."

"Yep exac-wait what?" Leif asked suddenly, his nervousness intensifying for entirely different reason.

"Yeah, she comes in all the time these days to get new books," Tukson elaborated, eyebrow raised. "I'm actually expecting her in the next half hour to pick up a book she requested," he continued, eyeing the clock on the wall. Leif swallowed, his heart sinking rapidly.

"Err well, it certainly has been a pleasure Tukson," he quickly said, clapping his hands together as his feet began to back up. "Umbra, I leave you in his very capable hands! I'm sure you can find the way back, just call meifyougetlost,okaybye!" The surfer's legs already were already speeding up like his words as he practically ran out the door without waiting for any kind of response.

Time to get the hell outta dodge before she showed up and made Umbra the second worst option for people he wanted to spend the rest of the day with.


	30. Learning Lore

**Tukson's Book Trade, 282 27th St, Vale**

"Yep. Figured he'd react like that," the shop keep's deep voice chortled as Umbra watched the door shut behind Leif. His sudden departure was unexpected, but not unwelcome, since it gave him solitude to begin his search. However, as he glanced around the store, it became more apparent that this search might be much harder than he thought, with books seemingly unorganized and spread out.

"So, what exactly are you looking for?" the Faunus asked, much to Umbra's annoyance. He had hoped this man wouldn't be the kind to ask questions, but apparently not.

"Information," Umbra curtly answered.

"On?"

"Things."

"Well you're just the polar opposite of Jasmine, now aren't you?" Tukson laughed. Jasmine? Must be the 'she' he had mentioned before, the one that sent his spineless leader scurrying out the door. Despite his goal, he couldn't help but be a bit curious.

"And who exactly is this Jasmine?"

"Not surprised that Leif hasn't mentioned her, given their current state," Tukson mused "She and Leif are close friends, though most who knew them always suspected they might have been something more sooner or later, if not already. But something happened though a few months ago, right around the time Leif stopped showing up here. A falling out or something based on her state when she'd come by. Whoo that girl was mad."

"Someone actually showed interest in Leif?" scoffed Umbra. "A pathetic fool like him?" He was a little surprised to see Tukson's eyes narrow at that remark.

"Careful lad, you're talking about one of my best customers. Leif may not be the strongest or exude inspiring confidence, but he more than makes up for it with that brain of his. Could have gone to any academic school he wanted, but chose Beacon instead. Maybe not the best fit for him, but I have no doubt he'll succeed there and beyond."

"Maybe his brain isn't as smart as you think then," Umbra growled, finding it difficult to restrain himself. He needed to investigate this place but to hear this guy praise someone so worthless was infuriating. Yet to his continued surprise, Tukson's features seemed to relax as he shook his head.

"Maybe, maybe not. But I think we can both agree he was smart enough to realize whatever you were looking for, you weren't finding it at Beacon. So I'm going to ask again, what exactly can I help you with young man?" This time the question was firm, indicative that this was a store owner who wanted Umbra to either buy something or get out. Weighing his options for a moment, Umbra chose to be vague.

"Heard of parts of an ancient legend, was curious. Been trying to find out more."

"That tends to be what brings half my customers in. Gonna have to be more specific than that, boy."

"It has to do with a world without light," Umbra said, prompting a thoughtful chin scratching from Tukson. He had to avoid giving any concrete details such as the actual name of the legend or its origins, even if it might speed up the search.  _The Legend of Lightless Night_ was a Skugga tale, meaning if anyone did know of it outside his tribe, they would likely instantly put two and two together and realize where his loyalties lay.

"A world without light…almost sounds like a creation myth…" Tukson murmured aloud. He came out from behind the counter and began to pace along the shelves. "Is this a predictive story or a recounting of a supposed event?" Umbra frowned, unsure how to answer. It was both in a way?

The legend explained how long ago, Remnant was cloaked in darkness, where only the strong survived. Those that could, like the Skugga, thrived, dominating all others. Yet, despite all their strength, tragedy befell them when this eternal darkness was struck down by the light, the darkness pushed back by the sun, the moon, and the stars. However, the darkness swore its revenge, proclaiming it would one day return to shroud the world once more, so that only the strongest would be left to rule over all of Remnant. Admittedly, Umbra always had his doubts about the legend, although they were directed more at the fluff the elders seemed to add. While there was no doubt some truth to it, the finer details were lost to the tribe…hence his job here now.

"A bit of both," he honestly answered. "Deals with the light ending the darkness." A bit of nervousness filled him as Tukson froze, deeply pondering. Was that too much? Tukson suddenly reached up, grabbing a thin and ancient looking book off the top shelf, throwing it back towards Umbra. Catching it with ease, he looked over the cover.  _The Tale of the Aspects_. No author or other identifying marks as to who wrote the book.

"Try that one. Not really accepted as a creation myth, but may be in the ballpark of what you're looking for." The nervousness remaining for a different reason now, Umbra opened the book and began to scan through it. The context of the writing seemed to match the legend, very vague and light on the details but its tone was definitely different.

The story started similarly, a world shrouded in darkness, yet this was seen as a curse upon the people of Remnant. Life was desolate and short, with hope being in short supply. Despite all their hardships, people continued to hope that one day the light would come again. Finally, three individuals decide to beg to the sources of Light themselves, climbing high above the clouds, until they could see the Sun, the Moon, and Stars. Upon hearing their pleas, these lights were moved, each picking one of the three to become their Aspect. Upon being bestowed with these titles, the three were filled with the light of their patron, granting them powers beyond the norm. With this power, they brought the light back to Remnant, spreading it far and wide, pushing back the darkness so that the heavens above could once again light the world for all.

It took Umbra a solid minute to realize the book was shaking. No…his hands were shaking. This was it; this was his first solid clue. While the stories were different in contents, the similarities such as a conflict between darkness and light almost seemed to safely infer these were two different sides of the same myth. What Skugga were lacking was how the light pushed back the darkness…and now he knew. These Aspects, these Champions of Light. They were the key to this.

"Seems like I hit the mark," chuckled Tukson, a smug look easily seen. While a snide remark was tempting, Umbra bit it back to ask a question instead.

"Who wrote this? Is there anymore?"

"No idea. Got that one years ago from a women trying to clean out her late grandmother's library. Never saw that title before, so figured it must be either really old, really rare, or both." Damn. So close, yet so far. Umbra forced himself to remain calm. A small step forward was still a step forward, even if the next step was out of sight for now.

"But I could do some digging for you if you want." Umbra looked up, shocked at the offer. While this Faunus had been the source of his first long awaited lead, he was hesitant to keep him involved. He was already what Nox would refer to as a loose end. One wrong word to the wrong person and everything would go to waste. Or worse, if he spoke to Leif…

"If you're worried I'll just go talking about this to anyone, you can rest easy. You obviously look like you want to keep this on the down low."

"Oh really? And just what makes you think that?" Tukson's eyes again narrowed at the question. A cold air seemed to fill into the shop, Umbra's hand twitching towards his staff on his back.

"Trust me kid, I know a thing or two about having secrets. I won't tell a soul, not even Leif." Umbra didn't respond, instead keeping his eyes locked with the Faunus. There was definitely something more to him, another side of him that was far different than just being a simple book store owner. Yet somehow…that made Umbra believe him more.

"That would be…helpful," Umbra slowly answered. "How much time would you need?"

"No idea. Might not find anything at all to be totally honest," Tukson confessed, crossing his arms in thought. "But I'll admit, this has me intrigued. What's your number?" It took Umbra more than a moment to realize he was asking for his scroll number. Apart from checking annoying texts from his teammates, he never bothered with the device. No one that he knew of in the Skugga had one of these things; the tribe kept to itself and relied on more traditional methods of communication. Even if anyone did have one, it would be useless as they were well beyond service range most of the time.

Pulling the device out, Umbra glanced at the piece of tape had across the cover. On it was his own phone number, something he had considered pointless to memorize since it was a pointless device to him. Ripping off the tape carefully, he handed it to the puzzled Tukson.

"Thank you," the teen respectfully said, one of the rare times he truly meant it.

"You're welcome young man, you're always welcome here at Tukson's Book Trade, home to-"

"Almost every book under the sun, right?" called out a feminine voice from behind them. Not recognizing the voice, Umbra snapped about, hand flying up to his staff without drawing it out. Staring back at him was a short girl, looking about his age, looking completely unfazed by his actions. Her hair was almost white, with a yellowish hue cascading throughout, accenting her sky blue casual dress. A quick examination revealed no weapons, at least none visible unless he counted her purse, although her stance and posture were surprisingly firm. Not a fighter, but not someone who was totally defenseless.

"Ah Jasmine, was wondering when you'd get here," Tukson called out, his voice back to a warm tone compared to moments earlier.

"Would have been here earlier if it wasn't for the usual lecture from my father," Jasmine explained, rolling her blue eyes, although Umbra could tell she was still carefully watching him. Putting a face to a name was helpful at least, although it didn't clear up the mystery surrounding her history with Leif. Not that he cared, his mission here was accomplished. That being said… he felt like having a little fun on his way out.

"Thanks again Tukson," he called out, heading for the door, feigning disinterest in the girl as he passed by. "Need to go meet up with Leif now before he has a conniption." Umbra grinned at the sharp gasp the name drop elicited before he headed out the door.

"Wait Leif? Leif was here Tukson? Today?" he heard as the door shut behind him, silencing her questions. A genuine laugh escaped his throat, a rarity for him, but he couldn't help but be pleased with himself. At the very least, this was likely the last time Leif would try to come with him to the city. Now to just survive this stupid lunch and their deal would be fulfilled.

* * *

**Pelani's Outfitters, 112 12th St, Vale**

No no no, that was just an idiot checking her out, not an Atlas agent. Eyes darted left. No, just a clerk trying to check inventory. Eyes right. Did someone just look through the window at her? No, just checking the displays. But what about- a sharp pain went through her leg as Mura pinched herself, trying to calm her mind. The anxiety had only gone up more and more as their time in Vale went on, the fear of being identified at any moment.

' _I'm not important, there's no way that just anyone would spot me. I should only be worried if I recognize them.'_ She rationalized, taking a deep breath. Being alone didn't help, with Luna in the changing room at the moment. This outfitting store had caught her partner's eye while window shopping, having a wide variety of clothing from both casual wear to practical gear. The shop didn't seem particularly unique or anything: Mura had seen plenty just like it during the few trips she took to the main city of Atlas with…with her parents. A frown already crept across her face, just the thought of him being enough to bring back the pain. Dad was gone. He was never coming back…

"So, um…what do you think?" A soft voice called her mind back from the brink. Looking over, she couldn't help but giggle at her partner's new look. Normally, Luna's clothes consisted of dark leggings with a pale buttoned up vest, giving her flexible mobility and comfort whether it was in the classroom or in combat. Yet this outfit was totally meant for causal wear, a dress awash with pale white and black shades. It certainly gave Luna a much more adorable appearance than her normal look, accenting her already soft feminine features, practically giving her wolf ears a certain glow.

"Wow! Totally suits you girl," Mura exclaimed, giving her an over-exaggerated look over. Luna's pale face flushed crimson as she walked over to the standing mirror. Despite her obvious embarrassment, she still looked pleased with the whole getup.

"Gonna buy it?" Mura asked, walking over. "Definitely get some attention wearing that on our days off."

"N-no, can do without the attention," Luna stammered, her cheeks turning redder. "Too expensive as well, not something I should waste lien on, especially with getting these new boots too." Left up at the cashier's counter was a box of combat boots Luna had picked out. Her old ones were meant for more casual hiking, having less grip on the soles to hold onto rough terrain.

"Ah come on, I'm sure your parents won't… shit sorry, I mean your Dad wouldn't…" Mura swore as she caught her screw up. It didn't seem to bug her partner too much though, or at the very least she didn't show it.

"It's fine. Like I said, I'm not hung up over it or anything," Luna softly said. While the reassurance seemed genuine, regret still panged through her, likely due to her own Dad being on her mind moments before. Her feelings must have been obvious as a warm hand gently touched her arm.

"Hey, I'm gonna change, then we could go meet up with the others, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, sounds good," Mura muttered, trying to push down the sickly emotions. Luna gave a small smile before retreating into the changing room, leaving Mura to her own devices once again. Trying to take her mind off it, she perused the tables around the shop. While the store had plenty of casual wear, there was other gear that could be useful to huntresses like herself. Picking up a pair of leather gloves designed for weapon handling, she noted just how worn her own were getting. Having been her only pair for almost five years now, the grips were beginning to wear through along with the padding over her palm. While the padding was just a comfort aid, the grips being firm were much more important, given the amount of vibrations and recoil created when using her shields.

"Now, are you gonna buy those?" her partner asked, returning in her original outfit, repeating back the question from earlier.

"I wish, could probably use a new pair but money is a bit too tight right now."

"Maybe ask your parents? I'm sure they would be happy to help you if you asked nicely." Luna's innocent suggestion cut deep, although Mura did her best not to show it.

"No, trust me, they…they wouldn't."

"Oh…" Luna's simple response trailed off, snapping Mura's attention to her. She needed to reassure her before any questions were-

"Guessing they're stingy with money like my Dad is?"

Or Luna could just bail her out again without even realizing it.

"Yeah pretty much," Mura lied, setting the gloves back down. "Hey, I'm gonna pop outside real quick, get some fresh air away from people trying to sell me things, okay?" Luna just shrugged and nodded, clearly not sensing any false intent as she walked over to the registar. While her mom could likely afford the gloves thanks to the survivor's benefits her family received from the Atlesian government, given her current situation, asking was completely out of the question. Actually, Mura had no funds whatsoever to use, being totally reliant on Beacon for all her basic needs. Luckily, Beacon supplied every student with ammo and Dust as needed, even going so far as to order custom sized sharpened frames for the edges of her shields when she noticed her old ones were dulling. Without all that, life might have been much harder for her away from home.

Instead, her only major concern was being recognized while out in this crowded city, her head already trying to keep an eye on everyone around them as subtly as possible.

' _Just how much longer can this last though…_ '


	31. Wrong Place, Wrong Time

**Riverwalk, Vale**

The gentle breeze coming off the water had long since calmed Leif's heart, although it didn't alleviate his regret. He should have stayed at Tukson's instead of bolting. Not because he might have learned some more about whatever it was Umbra was researching, there was no way he would have let anything slip with him there, but because he should have used that chance to apologize to Jasmine. Yet once again, he just ran away, choosing to avoid confronting a situation he had no expertise in rather than face it.

Seemed to be a theme in his life. It took years before Leif would even come near the ocean after the attack because he didn't know how to deal with the memories. Upon being accepted to Beacon, he gave Azul barely a few day's notice and couldn't even find it in himself to tell Jasmine since he had no clue how to break the news. Then even after getting to Beacon, he avoided talking to his parents about the difficulties he was having being the team leader; they didn't even know he  _was_  the leader.

' _They'll know after today_ _though,'_ Leif mused, throwing a pebble at the river, watching it skip a few times before sinking out of sight. He could only run for so long it seemed. Glancing at his scroll, he sighed, collecting his thoughts before turning back towards the square. Nothing he could do now but hope for the best.

Attempting to distract his pessimistic mind, Leif took to watching the living city around him. Minor construction and beautification was happening everywhere around prominent areas of Vale, given the Vytal Festival was being hosted here in the upcoming fall. Despite the event still being months away, the first batch of students were due to arrive next weekend from Vacuo. Shade Academy, though apart from the name Leif knew little else about the desert kingdom's huntsman academy. Given how the hosting city becomes a tourist hub for people across Remnant, it was no surprise that many shops and venues were rushing to complete long put off repairs and touch ups. Leif only had a few memories of the last Vytal Festival held in Vale, only being eight at the time, not to mention in the hospital due to the Grimm attack. This time though, he was sure to have much better memories of the event.

One of the memories he did have was watching one of the fights with Jasmine in the children's ward. It wasn't too long after the two of them met, her being there due to some complication with her immune system. Given his negative disposition, most of the other children shied away from him, yet she persisted. Turns out, it was due to her being curious about the book he was reading,  _The Story of the Seasons_ , a fairy tale book his grandpa had left him when he passed. Turns out she had a liking to books and soon the two were constantly swapping books and stories, even long after they were both discharged.

It was that love of books that probably drew them close together, in a different way than Azul and he were. While Azul was without a single doubt his best friend through and through, being around Jasmine was a totally different connection. If he hadn't attended Beacon then maybe… a commotion growing louder pushed that 'what if' to the side. It wasn't the normal crowd noise the local teen was familiar with; this was far more emotional. Breaking into a jog, he readied himself for anything.

"Equal rights for all!"

"We are not animals!"

A protest. A Faunus protest. Right in the middle of Market Square. Onlookers at the shops and restaurants had a variety of nervous expressions on their faces. Leif didn't blame them. This was… unusual to say the least. On one hand, he was aware of the underlying racial tensions between Humans and Faunus, having read plenty of books detailing the complicated relationship between the two. But on the flip side, he never really saw such discrimination happen, at least not in Vale, and certainly not on a large scale. Sure, there were horrifying incidents between individuals, but nothing widespread enough to warrant a large protest. At least… none that he could think of.

Glancing around the square, Leif saw Vale police officers starting to set up roadblocks, carefully eyeing the Faunus chanting. They didn't seem heavily armed, which was good, considering the protesters seemed completely unarmed apart from picket signs and their voices. He moved up, slipping inside the square just before two officers came up the road he had and cordoned it off as well. Now to find his mom and his team, hopefully before anything-

"And I said leave her alone!"

Mura's voice. Fantastic. Quickly homing in on the source, his eyes narrowed at the situation in front of him. Three of the protesters were right up in front of a bewildered Luna and angry Murasaki. The leader of the trio, an angry looking cat Faunus, whose tail was extended fully straight seemed to be accosting the girls.

"You wouldn't get it Human, what Faunus like her and I have been through! So how about you stop trying to keep her from standing up for herself and-"

"You approached us asshole! And she already told you she wants no part of this!"

"No thanks to you I'm sure," the leader sneered, making no motion to back off. Even at this distance, Leif could tell Mura was losing her patience. Making things even worse was the fact that she was armed, and while her shield was still strapped to her back, the last thing they needed was her to change that. Trying not to panic, Leif began to make his way over, glancing through the rest of the square. No sign of his mom at the  _Cornucopia_ , so that was a good sign at least, although no sign of Umbra anywhere.

"Mura, let's just leave," he heard Luna beg, pulling at her arm, although it was clear Mura was beyond listening.

"No thanks to me? Really now?"

"Exactly. Thanks to people like you, many Faunus think everything is okay, that we are supposedly equal." At this point, the cat Faunus was no longer speaking just to them, but grandstanding to the surrounding crowd, protesters and onlookers alike. "But we are not! They just tried to placate us with Menagerie after the war, shove us all down there, out of sight. Those of us who remained have to fight for jobs, fight for equal wages, equal opportunities, all while being told publicly that we are 'equals'. All so they can feel better about themselves." Leif began to walk faster as he saw the man turn his attention back to Luna and Mura. Out of the corner of his eye, he finally spotted Umbra, lurking in the shadows of an alleyway. Curiously, he was ignoring the protest entirely, looking towards the sky…

' _Not the sky…the_ _rooftops,'_ Leif realized, slowing his steps, following his partner's gaze more precisely. Nothing seemed out of place or unusual, just empty roofs and balconies-suddenly a glint flashed in his eyes as the clouds broke momentarily. The sunlight made obvious what Umbra was looking at so intently. The glint of a scope. Gun.

There were no thoughts as Leif sprinted full tilt forward. Neither were there any as he leaped towards the girls. His mind remained blank as he shoved both to the ground, barely processing the loud bang as a gunshot ricocheted off the face of the building where one of their heads was moments earlier. The next thought to actually occur did not stay inside his mind as he lifted his head up to scream.

"UMBRA, THE SHOOTER!"

* * *

**Market Square, Vale**

The scream was unneeded as Umbra already was in motion, leaping up to a low balcony, followed by a momentum fueled jump to the window sill. By the time the crowd had registered the first shot, several more had had been fired. As the screams of the crowd filled the air, Umbra had launched himself to the roof, drawing his staff as he landed. Screams filled the air as he leapt onto the sniper's rooftop, aiming to close the gap quickly. The shooter was already scrambling to his feet, clearly panicked at being confronted so rapidly. Before he could even attempt an escape, Umbra positioned himself between the gunman and any escape routes, trapping him against the edge of the rooftop. His eyes narrowed, sizing up his foe.

Given the scattered scales on the man's arm, he clearly was a Faunus. What stood out to Umbra however was the mask covering his eyes, white with red markings, very similar to the creatures of Grimm. Paired with this was a red wolf's and claw marks emblazoned on his vest, clearly some sort of uniform. However, none of this really mattered to Umbra. Only one thing did.

This shooter wasn't a student. He shot at unarmed civilians from a distance with his identity hidden, and while their lives didn't make a difference to Umbra one way or another, it proved this man was a coward. Far more so than even Leif, but unlike with Leif, he didn't need to hold back here.

"Time to see if you can fight a real warrior, eh?" Umbra taunted, settling into a power stance, ready to launch himself forward. The shooter looked shaky, but aimed his gun nonetheless. For a moment neither one moved. Suddenly, his staff was a whirl, deflecting bullets as he launched forward, roaring. A satisfying crack filled his ears as he brought the staff down on the shooter's arm, breaking through his flimsy aura with ease. Not satisfied with merely disarming the man, Umbra snapped his knee up, feeling the Faunus's jaw displace at the hit, lifting his feet off the ground. To finish the combo, Umbra planted his staff hard, using it as leverage as he spun around it, delivering a midair kick to the floating body, sending him tumbling across the rooftop.

"You know, here I was hoping that I may finally get a satisfying fight, but you're even more pathetic than most," Umbra called out to Faunus, who was shuddering on the ground, whimpering in pain. "And as much as I despise Leif, at least he isn't nearly as much a coward as you. So let's go ahead and make him the most pathetic person I know again." He leered, twirling his staff once more, prepared to finally make his first kill, even against a foe as underwhelming as this.

Yet it seemed he was destined to continue waiting for that honor as staff met not flesh, but unyielding metal. That metal quickly vibrated, the serrated edges rotating rapidly on chain. Back flipping out of the way, Umbra growled angrily, sizing up his new foe. Holding the monstrous buzzing sword was another masked man, albeit much larger than the one still writhing on the ground. Given the mask was similar, except for it covering this man's entire face, it was a safe bet he was part of the same group. Although it was very clear this one would not go down nearly as easy. He slid his hands to the center of his staff, cracking it apart as he settled into a more cautious stance. Now for a real challenge.

Yet the newcomer took a similar stance, seeming more than content to let Umbra come to him. His mistake. Without shifting his footing, Umbra twirled his staffs for a second before letting his aura flow through them, activating the engraved Dust. Striking them across one another like matches, a blaze of fire arced towards his foe. As he thought, it was easily brushed aside, cut through by the metal weapon, leaving Umbra to strike at his sides, smashing the staffs into either side of his ribs. Despite the strength he put into the blow, he felt his foe's Aura easily hold up against the hits. Most would be dismayed at this, but it merely inflamed Umbra's adrenaline.

A worthy fight. Finally.

Without hesitation, Umbra followed up with a series of kicks and slams with his staff, attempting to overwhelm his enemy before he could recover. Yet half the blows were blocked while the rest seemed to have no effect. As a kick was blocked, Umbra used the flat of the blade to push off, putting space between him and the warrior again. Despite all that effort, the man seemed unfazed. Time for a new strategy- the man's head suddenly perked up, glancing back over his shoulder. Before Umbra could react, his foe scooped up the downed shooter and leaped backwards off the roof.

Blinking his eyes in surprise, trying to register what just happened, Umbra recovered and rushed forward to the roof's edge. Rapidly leaping rooftop to rooftop was his retreating foe, now accompanied by several others, all holding unmarked briefcases. All had the same logo on their back as the shooter, a red wolf head over ragged slashes. His first instinct was to pursue, but logic won out. He didn't know the city, he didn't know how many allies they would have or how strong they would be. Like it or not, letting them go was the best option.

With a frustrated growl, Umbra kicked the left behind gun off the roof. So close, yet so far.


	32. Awkward Aftermaths

**Market Square, Vale**

While the blanket around her shoulders was unneeded, Luna kept it to at least humor the paramedics. Neither her nor Mura had been hit by the gunshots thanks to Leif's sudden appearance, but a few protesters weren't quite as lucky. No deaths, but the shots easily punched through the flimsy Auras of the protesters, bringing down several before Umbra confronted the shooter. If it wasn't for him, the casualties might have been much worse.

' _And yet, he looks more angry than_ _proud,'_  Luna pondered, looking over at her towering teammate, silently glaring off at the rooftops. Beside him was Leif, trying to answer for his mostly silent partner the many questions the police officers had. Apart from throwing the gun at the officers' feet, Umbra offered no other insights to the attack. Given the lack of a corpse and Umbra's sour demeanor… it was safe to say the assailant managed to elude him.

"So how long till Umbra gets us all arrested for obstruction of justice?" Mura asked aloud, although Luna couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic.

"I think he'll answer soon, if only because he'll get bored and want to leave," Luna replied with a sigh. The hope that one day he wouldn't be this difficult always seemed so fleeting.

' _So much talent, just a terrible personality…no not terrible,_ _arrogant,_ ' Luna corrected herself as she saw a wounded Faunus embrace his family after the police let them under the cautionary tape. Despite his incredibly rough edges, she really didn't think of him as "malevolent" or "evil". Just someone who was determined to always be on top. If he was, Umbra would have just spent today laughing as bullets hit the unarmed protesters instead of saving all of them.

And for that, Luna didn't want to give up on him just yet.

"Enough of this! Are you just going to keep wasting time asking the same questions over and over before tracking down those warriors, or are you just content with letting them run?" A deep growl snapped suddenly.

"Sir, they would be easier to, umm, track if you just answer our- "

"The smell of gunpowder is obvious to any novice tracker! Plus, they were on the rooftops, HOW MANY PEOPLE DO YOU KNOW TRAVEL ON TOP OF BUILDINGS?" Umbra snarled in the officer's face, who recoiled back.

"Sir, I'm warning you, if you don't answer our questions I'll- "

"You'll, you'll-what? Because for what are supposed to be the guards of this city, you sure did a fine job against that assailant."

She might have spoke too soon.

"And here we go," groaned Mura, palming her face. "Hope you know a good lawyer." Crestfallen at her teammate's response, more worry filled her as other officers moved towards the sudden commotion.

"Umbra-" Leif started, but his partner snapped his head around quickly.

"Don't you start either, if I wasn't there, you all might as well be dead."

"Sir I-I'm warning you. C-calm down and answer our questions or I'll have to take you in," the officer stammered, sounding far less threatening than what his words implied. The threat became even weaker at the sound of a whimper coming out of his mouth as Umbra's hand flew to his staff. Several officers drew their guns, shouting at Umbra to put his hands up as Leif quickly imposed himself between them and his partner, panic barely concealed on the young leader's face. Luna and Mura rose to their feet as well, her partner's shield twitching, showing its wielder's unsureness.

"Are you seriously about to arrest the ones who just stopped a massacre, Officer Halston?" A female voice challenged loudly from the other side of the confrontation. Despite the youthful tone, it seemed to have jarred several of the officers, their determination cracking slightly. Even Umbra seemed to look slightly surprised, glancing back over his shoulder to identify the speaker. Yet it was Leif that seemed the most shocked.

Actually, terrified was more like it, his face turning rapidly a reddish pale, not even looking towards mystery voice. Likely because he already knew who it was.

"L-lady Elv, you shouldn't be here, the White Fang might-" the officer attempting to threaten Umbra started, but was cut off once more.

"Oh so you know the White Fang are the primary suspects and yet you're about to arrest the ones who stopped them? And here I thought my father had better officers employed under him."

"N-no-but- "

"And not only are they likely getting farther and farther away, you're here sending a clear message to all the witnesses that if they don't precisely answer each question, or gods forbid, try to save peoples' lives, you might be thrown in jail. Hardly the principles of justice my family has worked so hard to build into this police force." As scolding continued, a face was finally put to the voice, although it proved to be quite the surprise. A beautiful girl with long white yellowish hair walked around the trio at the center of the commotion, although Leif still just looked towards the ground, pointedly avoiding eye contact. The surprising factor however was the girl's youth, no older than anyone on Team LUMO it seemed, yet she seemed to carry authority with her words, enough that many of the officers began to lower their weapons.

"Well? Get a move on!" She said, looking at the arresting officer expectantly, although Luna's sharp eyes caught the split second mixed expression glance towards Leif. There was definitely history between the two of them. After one last tense moment, the officer backed off, looking away ashamed as he headed for the ladder that led to the shooter's post. With that, the other officers began to disperse back to their other duties. The two girls relaxed, crisis seemingly averted.

"You. Stay."

Or not, again.

Turning towards Leif, who also tried to casually disperse off with the crowd, the girl gave an odd apprehensive look that he couldn't avoid locking eyes with. For some reason, this confrontation seemed even more tense than the one moments before. Luna slowed her breathing, trying to ready herself for anything-

"Not a word to me? Seriously?"

"I, umm, well…"

"Because you know, normally people can't get you to shut up, not that I was ever one of them."

"I mean, there was that one time- "

"That's because you were rambling on about surfing the first time you met my dad. Did you a favor, just like today."

"Well to be fair Jaz, you were really doing my partner here the fav…" Leif motioned to his left only to notice Umbra was long gone, furthering his pale look as this 'Jaz' continued their one sided dialogue.

"So he totally called her Jaz right?" Mura quietly mentioned, no longer looking concerned, but amused.

"Seems like it."

"Ain't a color I've ever heard, which means it's a pet name. So whatdya think, childhood friend or- "

"Childhood friend, and her name is Jasmine," a deep voice suddenly interrupted, Umbra approaching from the side. He made eye contact with neither of them, instead he too watching the exchange for some reason. Somehow the surprises kept one upping each other.

"Ummm and you know that how exactly?" Mura asked, recovering from the shock of a talkative Umbra. Yet on this, Umbra kept silent, causing their attention to return to the couple.

Life just couldn't be consistent it seemed today.

* * *

"Azul, Leif, I had to find out from freakin AZUL!"

"Alright alright, I should have sent you a message too, I just- "

"A text message. Is that all I'm worth to you then, just one measly text message saying 'Hey there long time childhood friend I've known since we were in the hospital together. Leaving for Beacon Academy to become a fancy schmancy Huntsman, see you later or maybe never!'"

"…I probably would have worded it better than that- "

"Missing the point Leif, missing the point!"

This conversation right here is what Leif had been trying to avoid by bugging out of Tukson's shop quickly. Although there was no doubt in his mind that he deserved it. Jasmine Elv was someone he kept too close to his heart to just be ignored like that. The regret would likely be weighing even heavier on his mind if it hadn't been for all the dysfunctional-ness the team had been going through these past two and half months.

"You're right Jaz, I'm sorry. I left like a total asshole and you have every right to be angry," Leif said with a heavy sigh. Jasmine's face scrunched up, still retaining a bit of cuteness even as she tried to maintain her anger. Then after a moment, her shoulders fell as her features relaxed.

"Yeah well…don't do it again jerk," She grumbled, punching his arm lightly.

"Seriously Jaz, I admit it, I totally screwed up." Leif continued, a teasing tone starting to creep in "I deserve a fate worse than death for not telling the great Jasmine of my plans."

"Alright alright, I get it- "

"I should just go and leave Vale altogether now, as penance for the crime I've committed against the amazing Princess Jas-uhfff—" A more solid punch hit his chest, stopping his exaggerated groveling.

"Don't be a kissass. I get enough of that from my dad's officers." Her dad, Modrá Elv, was Vale's Chief of Police. In fact, the Elv family has long been intertwined with the city's law enforcement, the position practically passed down from generation to generation. Before Jasmine's dad, it was her grandfather, before him it was her great-grandmother, and so forth. Due to this, it wasn't exactly surprising that officers had begun treating the family like very minor royalty, especially the younger members like Jasmine; after all, they could very well be working for her one day.

"You always did hate that, sorry-last one I swear." He quickly said seeing her raise an eyebrow. She just shook her head and laughed, finally lowering the tension. Her lovely laughter brought back plenty of sweet memories; hanging out on the beach late at night to watch the stars, getting in trouble with her and Azul and having to get away quickly before Jasmine was identified by the patrolling cops. It almost seemed so long ago despite memories like these making up most of his life so far.

"So…are you gonna introduce me?" Jasmine asked, glancing over at the three first years whom Leif just realized were staring at them. There was no getting out of this one, but to his own surprise, he didn't find himself wanting to run. Somehow the pressure was less with Jasmine than with his mom. No, not the pressure, but the obligation. He owed it to her to introduce the people who had become his new companions since he left the city proper, for better or worse.

"Right, just…just don't expect much," he winced, heading over to the trio. The girls suddenly looked away, trying to act like they hadn't been staring although Umbra kept his gaze trained on the pair. Probably sizing Jasmine up like he did everyone he passed.

"Hey, so that's Umbra Imaly, Murasaki Zenith, and Luna Okirikiri." Leif motioned to each person "Team, this is- "

"Jasmine Elv, it's a pleasure to meet Leif's teammates," she cut in characteristically. "I've known Leif since we were eight, mainly me keeping him out of trouble. So it's nice to see he has friends seemingly capable of doing the same thing."

"We're not friends," scoffed Umbra, flushing Leif's cheeks crimson. Of course Umbra would be obtuse. Jasmine's eyes narrowed as she locked eyes with the giant. No fear as usual but this might be one of the rare times silence would be better served.

"Then what exactly should I refer to you as?"

"You can call Umbra his partner," Mura chimed in with a sly grin. Anger flickered in orange eyes while Leif could practically feel the panic in his own. Not helping.

"Partner huh? Seems like that means you two are closer than friends then." Jasmine lightly said, a teasing glance clear as day. As expected, Umbra's nostrils flared at the implication.

"Hardly."

"Yet he brought you to Tukson's, so that's gotta mean some- "

"It was a deal, nothing more. Am I free to leave now?" Umbra quickly snapped. While mildly out of character for him, their deal was supposed to be just between them so Leif understood his annoyance this time around. That being said, the implication here was evident; Umbra encountered her before he left the shop. Although, it likely meant nothing beyond weird coincidence.

"As much as I hate to agree with Umbra, he brings up an excellent point." Mura wearily remarked. "Can we leave?"

"Yeah, seems like the officers are done, and they know where to find you all if they do somehow have more questions. Come on, I'll walk you all back under the line," Jasmine motioned. Leif gave her a thankful look; glad she didn't seem upset by his team's…unique demeanor. The group walked in silence as they approached the police line, the officers there still holding back a large amount of civilians who had no reason to enter as well as various reporters. This was certainly something to dominate the news cycle for days to come; Lisa Lavender would be quite busy. But that wasn't LUMO's problem, for once all of them seemed to be in agreement that they just wanted to go back to the dorm and sleep.

Although it seemed like life had one more curveball to throw at them.

"There! The four responsible for stopping the shooter!" This loudly emphasized sentence sent warning bells through the team leader's head. Somebody seemed to have ID'd them. Suddenly a loud commotion sparked up, rushing towards them before any of them could react.

"Cyril Ian, Vale News Network, were you four here to support the protesters or watching against any possible Faunus extremists?"

"Vale Gazette, can you confirm the rumors that the White Fang were behind this attack?"

"The Atlas Times, do you think there is a connection between these protests and the recent labor strikes at Schnee Dust Company work sites across Anima?"

Reporters. Microphones. Cameras. In their faces faster than anyone could react, like Grimm drawn to a funeral. Leif tried to stay calm, make sure no one did anything reckless or stupid, and by that, make sure Umbra didn't-a shield suddenly pushed him to the side, blocking the media's view.

"Back off now!" snarled Mura, her tone sounding oddly deep compared to normal. Yet the order was obeyed as suddenly the various questioners scrambled back away from the weapon. Several cops were around them now, trying to restore order, Jasmine even shouting for them to assist. Leif leaned over to say thanks but the words froze up in his throat. Mura's face was pale, but it didn't seem quite like anger. This was something else entirely.

"Hey, calm down," Luna softly said, stepping around her partner, trying to get between her shield and cameras.

"I will when they get the cameras out of my face," she growled. This was different. Mura was always stubborn, but this wasn't that.

"They are, they are backing off, just lower the shield- "

"Officers, please escort the media to the corner of the square. Tell them I will brief them momentarily." Jasmine's own voice sharply dropped off at the deep commanding voice that cut through the chaos. Even the reporters failed to utter much sound, though Leif knew damn well why.

Emerging from a recently arrived police car was the Chief of the Vale Police Force himself, Modrá Elv. The man stood as tall as Leif, though still fell an inch short of Umbra, his large body as imposing as the voice booming from it. The officers quickly herded the silenced reporters away from the young group as the man himself walked over. Luna quickly coaxed Mura's shield down as Leif and Jasmine stepped forward.

"Father, I-" the young lady started, but was silenced with a raised hand.

"We shall speak of this at home, so head there now," Chief Elv quietly spoke, before turning his attention to Leif. "As for you…I would ask if your studies are going well, but it seems your results today speak for themselves."

"Thank you sir, I think," Leif weakly replied. Jasmine's dad was hard to read on the best of days. "Ummm, well we should probably get out of your way…" He simply nodded and moved off to the side, motioning Jasmine to stay. With nothing left to say, the four started off again to the airbus station.

"You better call me later, or I'm coming to Beacon to slap you myself Leif!" He suddenly heard behind him. Without looking back, he simply smiled and waved over his shoulder.

This time, he would make sure to call her. He owed her that much. Though perhaps not as much as he owed his mother a call on the way home since their lunch meet up had been all but canceled…


	33. Watching the News

**Team LUMO Dormitory, Beacon Academy**

"Mura? Remnant to Mura?"

"Huh, what?" Mura asked, snapping out of her dazed state.

"Said it feels like this day has gone on forever…are you alright? You've seemed off since we left Vale," Luna asked, leaning up from her bed. Her voice was ripe with worry, a justified since Mura barely spoke the whole trip home. Not that she could help it, her mind was in full panic mode. All those reporters with cameras. Sure, none of them learned her name, but all it took was her face being seen. The CCT broadcasted countless channels and shows to all four Kingdoms, meaning all it took was one person in Atlas watching who knew her for all this to come to an end. But she didn't even know if it had been broadcasted, that important police guy might have told them not to. He seemed to know Leif, so maybe that counted for something- a knock at the door suddenly interrupted her rapid thoughts as Leif yelled at whoever was to come in.

"Hello again!" Pyrrha leaned her head into the room, her always cheery smile across her face. "Ren made dinner pancakes in the common room tonight, if you all wanted any."

"He made enough for extras?"

"Apparently he made a decoy batch to distract Nora. But, well, you know her…" The first-year prodigy trailed off with a laugh, rolling her eyes.

"Noted. I'm always game for some pancakes, you guys coming?"

"Sure thing, Mura?"

"Yeah, sure..." Mura agreed softly. She needed something to take her mind off this mess. Might as well be pancakes. The trio slipped on slippers before following Pyrrha out the door to the elevator.

"So…no Umbra tonight?"

"Ah no, he's busy with umm…stuff." Leif muttered. If Pyrrha wanted to know more, she didn't show it, choosing to just accept his answer and nod. The rest of the short walk was in silence, at least in conversation. Plenty of sounds echoed from down the hall, sounds confirmed to be Ren and Jaune attempting to hold off the pancake-monster known as Nora.

"Nora, I made you a stack of twenty, these are for the others."

"But Rennnnnnnnn, they're so good!"

"Then wouldn't the right thing to do be to let others enjoy them?"

"But everyone here got one already! There are only four left!"

"Which is why Pyrrha went to see if LUMO or WAVE wanted any."

"But she's been gone, like, a minute! There's no way- "

"REN JUST MAKE HER MORE PANCAKES FOR PUMPKIN PETE'S SAKE!" Jaune groaned as Nora pinned him tightly against the counter, attempting to reach the plate on the other side. On the couch in pajamas were the members of RWBY, each with a plate in hand, trying not to crack up at the blonde male's predicament while OBDN observed from their spot at the dinner table. The comedic atmosphere already started melting the tension in Mura's mind as Nora collapsed on the ground, moaning in defeat at the sight of LUMO coming to take the last of the food.

"If it's any consolation Nora, no Umbra, which means-" Before Mura could even finish her sentence, Nora already was on her feet, stuffing her mouth full of the last pancake with glee. A scroll suddenly rang out, Leif's, right before he took his first bite.

"Fuuuuuuuuuuuu- I totally forgot to call her after talking to my mom-ummm be right back." Leif winced, as he took the call "Hey Jaz-nono, Jaz I didn't forget- I had to call my mom first to tell her I was safe-no I didn't intentionally forget to call you…" Their young team leader's voice grew quieter and quieter as he walked off, clearly getting an earful to the bemusement of the rest.

"Never a dull moment, right?" Luna giggled beside her partner, savoring the delicious food.

"Never in a million years…" Mura's voice trailed off as her brain begun registering what the TV was saying. Swallowing nervously, she leaned over and grabbed the remote from beside Yang on the couch arm. Turning the volume up a bit to hear, she unintentionally silenced the rest of the common room.

"And now we go to Cyril Ian for an update on today's horrific events. Cyril?"

"Thanks Lisa, yes, as we've been reporting on the past few hours today, the commercial district suffered a violent shooting during a peaceful protest organized by Faunus rights activists. However, new details have emerged that around the same time as the shooting, several Dust shops were robbed, with most of their inventory lifted before anyone noticed. These Dust shops were temporarily closed for renovations, given the upcoming Vytal Festival is approaching. It wasn't until one store owner actually re-entered her store this evening to check on some paperwork, that one of the robberies was discovered."

"That's horrible," Opal commented sadly. "First a shooting, then robberies."

"Think it was that Torchwick guy again Ruby?" Yang asked, but her younger sister just shrugged, concern evident.

"I think it was the White Fang. Feels like something those criminal scum would do. Maybe they even staged the protest as a cover," Weiss sneered, speaking as though it was fact.

"Oh and what, then shoot at their own fake protesters? Don't be absurd Weiss." Blake snorted, causing Weiss to be aghast at the notion that she was 'absurd'. Mura tried to block them all out and just focus. For now, the news was just showing shots of the police examining the broken into shops, nothing of the protest. She had already checked all the news sites the since they had gotten back, although none seemed to have posted any footage of her or the team, but with this updated report…

"Just ten minutes ago, during a press conference with Chief of Police Modrá Elv, it was stated the department was looking at it from all angles, including the suspicions that the shooting at Market Square was a cover to distract law enforcement from these robberies while they were committed. Despite the possible link between the two, the chief refused to name any suspect organizations or individuals at this time, despite similarities to the Dust robberies commited by both Roman Torchwick within Vale, and the White Fang outside of it."

"Ha! See, I told you that the White Fang likely did it!"

"Are we even listening to the same reporter?"

"They are criminal animals; I'd be shocked if they didn't do such a heinous crime-"

"Weiss I swear-" But her voice was drowned out as Mura turned up the volume again.

"On a far more positive note, Mt. Glenn Memorial Hospital reported that the last of the injured from the shooting were discharged, with all eighteen victims projected to make a full recovery. Although that seems like a horrific number, again, as we have noted several times, things could have been much worse if it was for the well timed intervention by- "

"Look it's LUMO!" The rest of room's conversation died out in Mura's mind at Yang's statement, her eyes seeing the same thing as the blonde's. The footage cut from families being reunited to that damning footage taken as they were leaving. Time slowed to a crawl as each of their faces was shown walking on screen, clear as day. No names, but a clear high definition face was just as good as one these days. The footage cut away before Mura shoved her shield in all their faces but the damage was already done.

The faint sound of Luna's voice was already in the distance as Mura sprinted full tilt towards the stairwell. The elevator might take too long. Needed to leave now. She took the steps two at a time, not even trying to avoid Leif coming back down, knocking him aside hard without slowing. Put as much distance between her and Vale as possible before anyone from Atlas could pick up her trail. Rushing down the hall, she flung up the door open to the dorm and grabbed her bag. Clothes and basic necessities. Same thing she left Atlas with. Just had to fill the bag, grab her shields and-thud.

In her haste, Mura knocked over a large shopping bag Luna had brought back from Vale. The thud seemed weighty, betraying the presence of something besides a new pair of hiking boots. Ignoring the obvious invasion of privacy and time she was wasting in favor of curiosity, Mura picked it up and looked inside. Next to the shoebox was a gift-wrapped item with a written tag which she pulled out curiously.  _For Mura._ Unwrapping it slightly revealed a sight that froze all the adrenaline rushing through her system like ice.

It was the combat gloves Mura had been looking at back at the shop. Luna actually bought them for her.

The sight sent Mura reeling back onto the bed, unsure of what to make of it. Here was what was suppose to be a surprise gift from her partner, someone who was she was supposed to be partners with for the next four years, and Mura was about to just run away from her without a second thought. Abandon Luna and the rest because she might have been discovered. A large part of her still wanted to bolt, be free while she still had the chance, but she didn't move.

' _Is this really what I want?_ ' Mura asked herself, staring at the ceiling, gloves in one hand still. ' _Do I really want to just be running all my life? Never letting myself get close to anyone? Just leave LUMO, including someone who's been like a sister to me now…'_  At that thought, guilt sunk in instantly. Despite all of LUMO's many, many flaws, Mura realized she had come to think of them as her new family. None of them tried to control her or dictate her path through life, they just liked her for being her. And here she was about to throw all that away, all because of a Vale news report showed her face for a few seconds once, which no one in Atlas likely even saw.

All because fear was making her a prisoner now.

No longer.

Murasaki took a deep breath, forcing her body to relax before getting up. Quickly wrapping the gloves back up and putting them away, she unpacked her bag and straightened everything back up. Just as she finished the door opened, causing her to jump a little.

"Hey, is everything okay?" Luna asked softly, poking her head in, her wolf ears slightly drooped.

"Ye-ah yeah, everything's fine. Just thought I had stashed some extra syrup left over from the Forever Fall trip." Mura hastily answered, trying to look like she hadn't just had an existential moment. Luna looked to think it over for moment, worrying Mura, but then gave a sad bemused smile.

"Well if you did, might be a bit late. Nora sort of took you bolting out of there as a sign you were gone for good."

"Nope, not by a long shot partner," The Atlas runaway smiled "Well time to go see if I can't salvage something else to eat then." Thankfully the odds of there being food to eat were far far better than one person who knew her back home seeing that report.

* * *

The footage rewound for the the fifth time. There could be no mistake. There she was, clear as day, missing no longer.

"…for the well timed intervention by a team of Huntsman from Beacon, that the shooter was stopped before any shots became lethal."

She was in Vale, attending Beacon Academy if the words of the reporter were to be believed. After all this time…

"I've finally found you."


	34. Friendly Competition

**Professor Port's Classroom, Beacon Academy**

Five minutes. Leif just had to hold out five more minutes before he could finally get some food. As long as Professor Port didn't-

"Your attention please students! Before I let you all go today, I want to announce that this Thursday we will have a bit of a friendly competition!"

-start another lecture. His stomach groaned in agony, matching the audible groans of some of his classmates. Great.

"Oh, I wouldn't be so quick to protest. You see, there is a marvelous prize awaiting the team who emerges victorious."

"Let me guess, a sense of pride and accomplishment from a job well done?" Cardin sarcastically remarked, rolling his eyes and prompting a few snickers from his team.

"Well that goes without saying Mr. Winchester, but the faculty has decided to add a ten-point extra credit to the winning team's grades, something that I think you of all people should consider quite valuable," the portly professor retorted with barely concealed humor. Low laughter broke out amongst the first years at Cardin's reddening face, though Leif wasn't one of them, instead turning his full attention towards the professor. Ten points wasn't anything to scoff at, and if it was applied across the board grade wise… it could be just the boost LUMO needed to end the semester on a strong note.

It's not that LUMO's grades were bad, but they certainly weren't anything to write home about, something he wasn't used to after finishing in the top percentage of students at his old school. The main issue was due to the team's dysfunction early on, bad team performances quickly digging a hole in their grade average that they were still climbing out of. Individual performances partially made up for it, though those were also tanked due to his own partner; Umbra was certainly talented in all things combat related but his academics outside of that were nonexistent. Worse was his lack of caring, insuring those grades stayed in the crapper. Ten whole points could make all the difference...

"Settle down, settle down. Yes, this competition will consist of three events, all of which are selected from the events at the interschool competition next semester." Port began to explain. Leif's interest increased further now; the biennial Vytal Festival occurred at the end of the next semester, however in the weeks leading up to the festival proper, there was a series of competitions between the various schools. While partly to stand in for exams for grading purposes, the competition also served as chance for teams to compete for school pride prior to the main fighting tournament.

"The first event is a simple one, target shooting, a pure test of marksmanship. The second event is an obstacle course, though your fellow classmates should be considered as much as an obstacle as the course itself. The final event is target juggling, how long you can keep the target airborne through attacks and other techniques." Murmurs started filling the room as Leif's brain took the explanation in. Simple enough, though given how stacked it seemed their class was compared to the other first year blocks, it would be a tough challenge for LUMO to-

"I should mention that there is one catch; team leaders cannot compete. Instead, they will be judged on how well they assign their team members to each event, and may score points even if their team member doesn't take first place."

Ruby's disappointed cry from across the classroom was mirrored perfectly by Jaune's relieved sigh, which Leif silently agreed with. While some teams would view that condition as a detriment, that worked perfectly in LUMO's favor. Still way too early to get excited, but this could prove quite the boon, provided they won. The events were easy to plan around, given his team's skill set, not to mention he only had to account for the first year teams in his own class, so no WAVE or the others. The biggest issue would be getting Umbra to agree. That shouldn't be too diff- his head almost hit the desk, a light smack from behind having pushed it forward.

"If you're done daydreaming, some of us would like lunch," Mura remarked, eyes rolling, both her and Luna ready to leave.

"Yeah yeah, sorry, just thinking about the competition," the Vale teen sheepishly answered, jumping to his feet while grabbing his bag. The trio began walking, not even bothering to look for their already absent fourth member. They had long since given up on getting Umbra to join them for meals; Leif was just thankful he did team training with them. That said, ever since their trip into the city last weekend, the tension had seemed to die down a bit between him and his partner. Less complaining and antagonizing, more simple grunts and actual words when spoken to. Whatever he found at Tukson's seemed to put in a more favorable mood… or whatever the equivalent version of that was for Umbra.

"Do you have a plan?" Luna asked, barely heard over the din of the cafeteria as they entered.

"Something like that… let's grab some food first then speak outside." Leif wasn't one for paranoia, but he was for good grades. Best to leave nothing to chance. The three first years conversed amongst themselves as they moved through the line, topics ranging from homework to music, though Leif's mind was someplace else. Three events, each one focusing on a different aspect of combat. But who to put in each event? Which person best fit each skill? There had to be a better way to analyze this, something he was missing.

' _Wait, wait, wait, I'm looking at this all wrong. Instead of looking at my own teammates, I should-'_

"Leif-Leif!" His attention snapped back to reality as he realized he was sitting outside now, both girls giving him an amused look.

"So, your plan oh great leader?" Mura sarcastically asked between bites of her sandwich.

"Right right… well the key here is obvious. We have to predict who the other teams will put in what event."

"That's obvious?" Mura questioned, a little garbled from the food in her mouth.

"Well yeah. If we want to win, it's not about who will be best suited for each event, it's about making sure we beat whoever the other team's select. For instance, I don't doubt that any of you would be ill-suited for the obstacle course, but which of you can beat whoever is selected for precision shooting or target juggling? Or rather-"

"Which of us can beat Pyrrha Nikos, right?" Luna finished quietly, catching on quickly. "It doesn't matter who is best for what, it matters trying to figure out who we can beat in what."

"Exactly. Pyrrha will no doubt win whatever event she is in, meaning if we can guess that, we stand the best chance of winning the other two."

"And how exactly will we do that? Just gonna ask Jaune what he's deciding?"

"Though I won't entirely rule that out as implausible, I have a less manipulative idea." Leif chuckled, pulling a sheet of paper out of his backpack. He quickly drew up a chart complete with the names of the other first years as well as the three events.

"Pyrrha may be good at everything, but Nora and Ren are not. Given the event is precision shooting, likely from a standing position, Nora is out completely; her grenade launcher isn't designed for that. Ren's guns somewhat fit the bill but not like Pyrrha's rifle, meaning she fits that event far better than other two," Leif stated, marking a check in the prodigy's box under sharpshooting category. "On top of that, we can best guess that due to Ren's hit and run fighting style, rapid yet lacking real heavy firepower, that he isn't going to do target juggling; Nora makes way more sense there and means Ren will do the obstacle course."

"I-umm-yeah that makes sense…" Mura trailed off, though Leif barely heard her, continuing to go through his chart.

"That takes care of JNPR, next would be RWBY. Ruby can't compete, meaning Weiss is next best bet for sharpshooting due to Blake and Yang's weaponry. Yang's fighting style means target juggling, leaving Blake for the obstacle course…CRDL is another easy one based on skills," Leif continued, marking people in the appropriate spots as he spoke, "OBDN is trickier but with Opal not able to participate that easily narrows it down...err why are you both looking at me like that?" Leif paused mid scribble seeing an unusual expression on both his teammate's faces.

"Because you are scaring the shit out of me right now. Do you always think like that?" Mura blurted out, Luna nodding in agreement. Leif's face flushed red.

"Ummm well yeah when it comes to stuff like this…is it that weird?"

"No! I mean yeah, but not in a bad way, it's just weird hearing you sound so…."

"So…?"

"…. leader-like?"

"I guess," Leif laughed despite his embarrassment. "I mean, this is all just guess work, means nothing if I'm wrong."

"Still though, it looks impressive enough. But what about us? And more importantly Umbra?" Luna asked, clearly not forgetting about LUMO's big question mark.

Leif looked down at the chart, noting the three remaining blank spaces for his teammates.

"Well… here's what I have in mind…"


	35. The Fight for First

**Beacon Training Grounds, Beacon Academy**

Next target, forty meters out.

Draw.

Aim.

Release.

Two targets, sixty meters out.

Lightning arrow.

Form the arrow.

Nock it.

Draw.

Aim.

Release.

Wait a beat.

Explode the Dust.

Next target- a loud buzzer cut through her thoughts, signaling the end of the round. Her shoulders slumped in relief, knowing that, for better or worse, her job was over.

"Excellent work Miss Okirikiri! Quite the score you earned, 143 points is nothing to scoff at!" Professor Port congratulated her from the sidelines.

"Thank you, Professor," she called back, wiping her brow of sweat. The tufts of fur around her wolf ears felt itchy in the heat, but that was something a bath could- a shiver suddenly went up her spine as a cold towel was draped over her head.

"Way to kick those targets' asses!" Mura exclaimed, clapping her partner on the back, ruffling the towel on her head to minor amusement.

"Yeah, great work out there. Hope I can aim like that one day," Leif remarked, approaching from the other side.

"Heh, thanks guys, though I hope I can aim like  _her_  one day…" Luna replied sheepishly, looking up from under the damp cloth as the leaderboard. Now that she had gone, the final rankings were up. To nobody's surprise, Pyrrha had dominated the event, landing a perfect score of 200. However, to many people's surprise, Hiki Dravite of Team OBDN took second, scoring 165 points. The tall pale brown skinned boy looked unenthused as he rested his head on the butt of his rifle, even as his teammates congratulated him. Luna had only a few interactions with the guy to date, mostly over meals or group study. Hiki always seemed bored, unmotivated, and really just flat-out tired. Yet, he never seemed to miss a beat academically and, with a score like that, clearly, he was no slouch in combat.

Then came her name, tied exactly at 143 with Weiss of RWBY, followed by Dove of CRDL in a not too distant fourth. Third place wasn't bad at all, though in this mini-competition, only first place counted for points. This wasn't even the event LUMO expected to have a chance at winning, as Leif accurately predicted; Pyrrha's presence squashed any and all hope.

Still though… she wished could have done more.

"Hey, don't beat yourself up too much partner," Mura quietly reassured her. "No sense in comparing yourself to freaking Pyrrha Nikos. She's on a whole different level than us."

"I know, I know." The words may have been kind, but they didn't exactly ease the pain.

"The next event will start in fifteen minutes. All competitors please report to the starting line and all spectators please take a seat!" A hyper voice cut buzzed across the training grounds over the intercom.

"Well you heard Oobleck, time to cheer on Umbra," Leif surmised, starting to follow the rest of the class towards the stands, minus the competitors who headed the opposite direction. Luna followed silently, still not quite in the mood to talk, though she craned her head around to spot their loner teammate. He at least showed up for the competition today, looking oddly upbeat for once, though he was nowhere to be seen now.

"Don't worry, he's already at the starting area for the obstacle course." Leif suddenly commented, evidently seeing her searching. "Left moments after you finished competing."

"Wait-he actually watched me?"

"Yeah he did, and this time it wasn't while you were sleeping." Mura snickered, Leif rolling his eyes at the obvious lie. Despite the crude joke, she had to admit it was surprising, and a little encouraging, that Umbra chose to watch. Always seemed to be more to the guy, just hidden out of sight by his general gruffness.

' _Hopefully one day, he'll finally feel comfortable enough to show his true self to_ _us_ ' Luna mused while climbing the bleachers. Looking down to the track, the young huntress could tell that the professors had been quite busy. The half mile loop was filled with the normal things one would find in an obstacle course: rope swings, pits to jump over, dense jungle-like structures made of wood and vines, and a rock climbing wall. Yet, it was clear they went the extra mile to make it fit for huntsmen and huntresses in training. Electrified panels were under the tangled mess of rope ladders and bridges, the rock wall was easily four stories high, and the final obstacle was a squad of automated training dummies that were normally used for one on one sparring.

"Thanks Leif," Mura suddenly said, sounding unusually sincere, catching both Luna and their leader off-guard.

"No problem!" he replied, smiling for a few seconds before frowning. "Wait, for what?"

"For not putting me in this event."

Laughter burst out of the Faunus's throat at her teammates' pseudo-serious conversation, finally feeling a bit lighter inside. Like Mura, she was relieved she wasn't doing this event either after seeing the course.

That said… she couldn't help but wonder what was going through Umbra's mind down there.

* * *

' _Tempted_ _to actually thank him for putting me in this event_ '. Adrenaline flowed through every inch of his body. His heart was barely keeping a steady pace as he stretched out. The course looked legitimately tough, a rare challenge compared to everything else thrown at him since leaving the wilds of Vacuo. Though, it wasn't the obstacles he was concerned with, but the competitors; obstacles couldn't think or adapt, people could.

Glancing down the starting line at the others just now arriving, he felt a twinge of annoyance as his partner was once again proven right. Just like with the shooting event, Leif had managed to guess the exact people in this contest as well. Even more annoying was that Umbra's own assessment lined up perfectly with the weakling's; Blake from RWBY and Ren from JNPR would likely be his most dangerous adversaries.

' _Well, maybe not dangerous, but certainly two to keep an eye_ _on'_  he chuckled mentally. The other two competing, Nick El-Mai from OBDN and Russel from CRDL, lacked any physical prowess that could worry him. That said, it was curious that both had their weapons; Umbra obviously had his, but assumed that the professor would tell him to set it aside for the event, another spineless boring rule. Pushing that aside, Umbra refocused his mind. It would just be a matter of beating the liar and the ninja.

"Soooo is it too late to back out? Asking for a friend," Umbra heard Nick nervously remark with a chuckle.

"Doubt it. Cardin would kill me worse than this course will if I did," Russel sighed, craning his neck to check the entire track. More idiotic idle banter to block out.

' _No matter, as long as none of them try to-'_

"You seem more alive today," the black-haired girl to his left quietly commented, an eyebrow raised as she stretched her arms.

"No more than I usually am." Umbra flatly replied, avoiding eye contact.

Blake Belladonna. Out of all the first years, she was one of the few that actually sparked some curiosity in him. Her background was about as shadowy as his own, but he at least was true in his appearance. It was still bewildering how a simple black bow was managing to fool the other students, not to mention her own teammates. Though it would amuse him to expose her, it would serve no practical purpose, nor help in his own mission; it would just draw attention to himself.

But…a bit of teasing wasn't out of the question. Besides, having her off guard might even increase his chances of winning.

"I guess it's hard to say since most of us barely see you outside of class."

"And here I might have thought those eyes of yours were keen at spotting things in the dark." A sharp intake of breath brought a grin to his face. The naïve girl really thought she had everyone fooled.

"W-what exactly are you trying to imply?"

"Oh nothing," Umbra chuckled, finally turning to look down at the flustered girl. Her face had gone a bit pale, her emotions showing plain as day.

"Is everything alright Blake?" an always quiet Ren asked on the other side of her.

"I'm fine!" She sputtered out, barely sounding convincing, "Just, didn't expect such a crazy course is all."

"Aww what's wrong? I didn't take you for such a scaredy cat Blake," Umbra sneered, heavily emphasizing the word 'cat'. Her face went stark white, though something else flashed in her eyes that caught Umbra's attention. Fear? Maybe, though it seemed like something else entirely, something familiar, almost like-

"Racers! Let me go over the rules one final time and then we shall begin!" Professor Port bellowed from the announcer's podium on the inside of the track. Discarding his thoughts on the Faunus beside him, Umbra turned his attention to the task at hand. Winning.

"The first lap will be solely based on physical prowess! No Semblances or weapons will be allowed, you must instead rely on your own inner strength and agility to outrace your opponents to the finish. However, the second lap will be the same course, maybe with a few extra surprises thrown in of course, but you'll have the benefit of your weapons and Semblances. Anything goes except directly destroying the obstacles and moving around them, including flying above them-yes I'm looking at you Mr. El-Mai!" Port chuckled sternly, talking over the loud groan to Umbra's right and laughter from the crowd.

"If you exit the track for any reason, you are disqualified and cannot reenter the course, so make sure to be extra cautious!" continued the professor "Obviously, first person across the finish line wins! In the proper Vytal Festival competition, second and third will earn points for their school, but for this mini-competition, only first place counts. Now racers, take your positions!"

Weapons and Semblances on the second go around. Now it made sense why the others had their weapons, not that it really improved their chances. Victory would assuredly be his.

"Three! Two! One! Begin!"

' _Time to make sure they all understand just how outclassed they really are.'_

* * *

Loud cheers went up from the spectators as their teammates took off at the sound of the buzzer. No loud cheers from LUMO however, at Leif's request. Apparently, it had been a stipulation of Umbra's for him taking this seriously. While Mura doubted the guy would have been distracted by any of them cheering, she was sure that it would be humiliating for his pride. Though tempted to defy her leader's request, Mura remained quiet as she watched. The race started about as well as Leif has predicted; Umbra was in the lead with Blake and Ren close behind, while Nick and Russel were battling to not be last.

"I'm still surprised you managed to get him to be serious about this," Luna admitted as they watched Umbra maneuver through the rope jungle with ease with Ren and Blake on his heels.

"Honestly wasn't too hard," Leif sheepishly chuckled, "I just mentioned the word competition a lot, beating others, being the best, and he sorta just accepted the offer. Well after making the whole no cheering demand, though I'm pretty sure that was because of you, Mura."

"Of course it was." Mura pouted. "He's never any fun.".

"It seems like he's having fun down there right now," Luna pointed out as Umbra made it over the rock wall. Despite the wall being four times his height, their normally stoic teammate had a smile across his face as clear as day.

Umbra was having the time of his life.

And it was absolutely killing her to not tease him about it.

* * *

Sliding under the final spinning blade on the training bot, Umbra sprinted full tilt towards the starting line. His staff was embedded in the ground, waiting to be equipped once more. This whole course had been child's play for him, allowing him to easily keep the lead, though it wasn't as comfortable as he'd like. There could be no slowing up, not with Ren and Blake still well within range.

His staff could easily change that however, his legs pushing themselves to move just a bit faster now. His arm outstretched, ready to grab it the moment he-

"YEAH UMBRA, WAY TO KICK THEIR ASSES!" His feet stumbled for a moment at his name suddenly being called out. That damn girl. He specifically told Leif he didn't want to hear any of them cheering just to avoid her incessant harassment. Slowing, he glared angrily at the stands, trying to find the chatter mouth-a slight breeze moved past him then a second one. Shocked, his eyes snapped forward to see Ren and Blake scooping their weapons off the ground, their teammates loudly cheering them on. Anger burst through him; he let himself be distracted.

That would be the last mistake he'd make today.

Snarling, he returned to full speed and snapped up his staff. Neither Ren nor Blake were watching their backs, both trading light gunfire with each as the navigated through the rope swings. Their mistake. Splitting his staff apart, he began twirling the two halves as he ran, before slashing each downward and sending twin jets of fire leaping off the engraved Dust at his foes. Caught off guard by the roaring flames from behind, both first years were forced to deal with this new threat. Ren swung out of the way, moving himself out of harm's way but halting his forward progress. The one aimed at Blake however dissipated as it seemingly hit her, though Umbra knew better as he slammed his staffs back together to swing from the first rope. Blake's Semblance was a tricky one, letting her leave clones seemingly made of shadows behind to take the impact of attacks while she escaped unharmed. Despite the attack failing to slow her down, it did remind Umbra to test out a theory he had.

Blake emerged from the ropes first, keeping a lead in front of Umbra, though only slightly. The next obstacle was the rock wall which seemed to contain one of Port's 'surprises'. Turrets had sprouted up at the top of the wall, strafing left to right while firing vertically downwards. Definitely more challenging than before, but far from a real obstacle. Blake was a third of the way up as Umbra reached the base, though she was moving quickly, using her weapon to grapple up from mantle to mantle, easily dodging the gunfire.

' _Let's see how you dodge a two-pronged_ _assault'_  Umbra sneered, gripping the handhold he had tightly. Focusing his strength, he lowered himself slightly before pulling up hard, launching himself upwards. Doing so twice more put him within striking range; now to put the wretch in the ground for-a loud roar burst forth from below, forcing his attention downward. He didn't have to look very hard for the source though as a person was climbing upwards incredibly quickly.

Not climbing.

Flying.

"Pardon me, coming through!" Nick shouted, a warm breeze tinged with fire and wind Dust emitting from him. The wings on his back, the transformation of his weapon. Umbra had totally forgotten about them. This realization came with remembering the wings were not unarmed-his body twisted to right, digging his staff into the wall to replace the lack of footholds, barely dodging the Dust rounds fired up at him. If there was a sudden consolation to Nick's sudden appearance, it was that Blake had been forced to stop as well and defend herself, firing back while trying to avoid the shifting turrets up top. Nick soared past both of them before vanishing out of sight overtop the wall.

Being caught off guard, by a goofball like Nick El-Mai…it was embarrassing.

This could not stand.

Umbra climbed on top of his embedded staff, grabbing the handhold above him. Ripping the staff out from the wall between his feet, he pushed off the wall, throwing his staff high in the air as his legs reached the height of their arc, launching above the top of the wall itself. The moment his feet contacted the rock again, Umbra was off, quickly clambering up the wall, ignoring all else. One of turrets strafed in off, gunfire smattering off his Aura but otherwise ignored; he could afford to take a few hits. Reaching the top rapidly, he glanced up to locate his falling staff.

Then he jumped.

Nick was already approaching ground level, following the rules that he had to proceed through the obstacles. Only one was left; the robotic sparring bots, though this time they seemed to be far more responsive. Another one of the professor's surprises. It mattered little to Umbra however, only winning did. Having timed the jump perfectly, his hand felt his staff to his right, snatching it out of the air while splitting it. Twirling them as fast as he could, he began channeling his Aura through each before striking them over and over. Soon, almost a dozen streaks of fire were racing downward, all aimed well ahead of Nick. The first bolt was aimed too far ahead however, alerting the classmate to the attack as he pulled upwards, letting the other fire bolts arc beneath him.

Which was exactly where Umbra wanted him. Suddenly Nick was growing closer and closer to Umbra, panic starting to show on his face, not realizing what was happening. Umbra moved into a striking stance, ready to pummel the kid straight into the ground the moment-a whip closed around his wrist, yanking upwards before he could react. A black blur slingshotted down, using the Vacuo teen as a counter weight, the whip coming undone as she passed.

Blake had caught up. Anger was now very rapidly turning to fury.

The black hair girl knocked Nick to ground as she passed him, though it was clear she hit him far weaker than Umbra would have, meaning Nick was by no means out of the race. But for now, it was just him, Blake, and a sprint to the finish through all those bots.

Reaching the ground moments later, Umbra wasted no time in reaching full sprint. He had to pass her, knock her out, something, anything, as long as it meant victory. It seemed he would get his chance as he watched Blake begin to slow, the sparring bots indeed seeming to have been upgraded, countering her attacks and making their own. One shot is all he'd have.

' _Time to test that_ _theory_ ' he decided, striking his staffs together, sending more fire at Blake, who just managed to evade another bot. With no room to evade, Umbra watched as a shadow of herself began to appear. Before it even finished materializing, he focused his mind, reaching out to the shadow clone, letting his Semblance flow through him. Sure enough, he felt a connection to the shadow; despite its origin, it was no different than any other shadow in this world.

Therefore, it was his to use.

Twisting the shadow around, he used its arm to grab hold of Blake's ankle. Her eyes went wide at the sudden contact. Focusing, he pulled her back towards the bolt of fire, shock clearly paralyzing her movement at the sudden betrayal of her own clone. The attack hit dead on, sending the first year tumbling across the ground as Umbra passed her with ease, dodging the robots with little difficulty, their upgrades making little difference for a warrior of his caliber.

Ten seconds later, he heard the buzzer sound as he crossed the line. Though there was a little trouble along the way, the result was still the same.

Umbra had won.


	36. Bird's Eye View

**Beacon Training Field, Vale**

"Hey! Great job there big guy, you made that look eas-"

"I said no cheering!" Umbra snapped at Leif, ignoring Mura entirely as they walked over. Their team leader was flush pale at the towering giant's anger, but Mura stepped between the two.

"Hey, I'm the one who shouted, so if you have an issue, take it up with me."

"Gladly. Fight me, right here and now-"

"Oooo sorry, but I have a competition to get to, sooooo later then?" Mura snickered, rolling her eyes. She wasn't going to give Umbra a later either, but it felt good to tease him after having to hold back. That said, if Umbra was going to take his anger out on someone, it wasn't going to be Leif, not this time.

"Fine," Umbra finally spat, anger turning into annoyance.

"Fantastic. Well, I have to report to the starting area, so if you all don't mind..." Mura trailed off, giving an exaggerated bow and turning around. Her legs skipped across the training area, oddly filled with glee despite just being shouted at. In fact, her whole mood had been largely positive since her decision last weekend to stay at Beacon, despite the chance of being discovered. While the improving mood mildly surprised even her, she saw no reason to see it as a bad thing. Her conversations with Leif and Luna had been more enjoyable than ever, her energy was at an all time high, she even felt like she could out-hyper Nora on these happy emotions alone.

' _Well maybe at least for a few_ _seconds'_  She chuckled to herself, recalling all the times Nora nearly blew out the lights in the dorms when Ren decides to make pancakes. Though, they were really good pancakes.

The final event of the day was the target juggling competition. Stationed in the center of a circle was a six-foot-tall white sack used for practicing combos that involved juggling a target with a series of blows. The competition was so self explanatory that it seemed Port planned to skip the rules altogether; after all, it was just a matter of who can keep the target up in the air the longest without touching the ground themselves, as well as a factor of how smooth the combination of hits was.

She began stretching her arms out while she identified her competition. A single laugh escaped her lips as it seemed Leif was going to go three for three today. Yang from RWBY, Nora from JNPR, Sky from CRDL, and Beryl from OBDN, exactly as their leader had predicted. All were a good fit for this event, maybe except for Sky and Beryl. That said, she sorely underestimated how well the rest of OBDN would do in their own events, so misjudging the tiny mole Faunus's skill wouldn't be in her best interest.

Especially considering LUMO winning the whole competition all came down to Mura winning.

No pressure or anything.

* * *

"You know, you should have gone with him."

"He didn't ask."

"Because he knew you'd say no."

"He's finally catching on then."

"That's not-never mind," Luna sighed, giving up this line of debate. Leif had left the two to go speak with RWBY, or rather, apologize to the girls for his partner's performance. While Umbra was busy looking triumphantly smug, Leif noticed Blake's unnerved expression, greatly worrying him. Neither of their states surprised Luna; Umbra's Semblance was a huge question mark, this being only the second time she had seen it in action. On top of virtually being unknown in what exactly it was, the fact that it was able to influence and change Blake's Semblance was so surprising that it was no wonder the girl was bewildered. She must have done that tactic a million times without fail, so to suddenly see the representation of her soul turned against her… it was no different than when Luna looked up at the moon and saw her own inner image reflected back.

' _At least when it happens to me it's my own_ _fault'_ Luna sighed, watching as Yang took the stage  _'I'm shocked Umbra would go as far to-'_ She paused, frowning mid-thought. No, she wasn't surprised actually, it seemed to fit his usual tactics. Total surprise, undermine her confidence, maximum impact. Given the situation, it likely was his only real option to win, though that didn't disturb her any less.

"Well you should still go apologize," she quietly, yet firmly, stated. "You owe her that much." While she was sure her teammate had heard, his stoic face gave no indication of his thoughts on the matter. Instead, he seemed oddly focused on the event, or at the very least the current competitor who was set to beat the stuffing out of that bag.

* * *

_BAM!_  Slamming into the ground, the training dummy's impact could actually be felt in the soles of her feet. As Leif guessed, Yang was the girl to beat, racking up a juggling combo of over twenty hits with ease, with over fifteen seconds of hang time. Mura could only speculate how much further the blonde would have gone if the target was capable of hitting back, which would have fueled the girl's Semblance. But lucky for her, and the other competitors, that wasn't the case. As Beryl went to get set up, waiting for a fresh dummy to be brought out, Murasaki continued to stretch her arms out.

Out of the members of Team LUMO, only her and Umbra fit the skill set needed for this event. However, taking into consideration Umbra's admittedly superior athleticism and projected competitors in the obstacle course, Leif made the call for Mura to do the target juggling. While parts of her still wanted to resist being ordered about, again her new sense of belonging kept her content. But if she was to stick around, good grades would be pretty useful.

' _So I'd better not_ _lose'_  She firmly determined, watching carefully as Beryl took her turn. The tiny Faunus sized up the target dummy looming over her before grinning, settling into a stance before letting out an intense shout. Glowing a dark purple, the rings on her middle fingers slammed into the underside of the dummy along with her punch. Mura was shocked by just how far up the dummy soared, closely followed by the Faunus herself, who quickly punched the ground, the pair of rings still glowing purple.

"Wowzers, wouldn't want to be on the other end of those punches," Nora commented, letting out a low whistle.

"Ditto, didn't even realize she had rings with gravity Dust," Mura murmured in agreement. Beryl's weapons were unique in that they weren't really weapons so to speak. Her fighting style was basic, best summed up as 'punch stuff', but the real power was the Dust rings she wore on each hand. Each was infused with a different type, though up until now Mura had only seen three rings in action. Her index finger rings were being put to work now, earth Dust, strengthening her punches, suspending the training dummy in the air for hit after hit. However, keeping that sort of Dust usage going constantly had to be taking immense toll on her Aura, meaning the finale had to be coming soon.

Sure enough, five strikes later, the spectators watched as Beryl pulled herself to the dummy, using her Semblance to stick herself to her target. As the bag slowly rotated in the air, the Faunus waited until it was between her and the ground before delivering her final attack. Mura assumed she would do one last solid hit to knock it to the gro-a sudden explosion put a quick end to that theory as the whole crowd oooh'd at the spectacle. The dummy slammed into the ground with frightening speed, Beryl successfully landing seconds behind it with her trademark grin on display.

"Way to go partner! That ought to shock the competition!" a loud voice was heard from the stands, accompanied by groans by Nick's teammates. While the comment seemed a bit out of place, the context was made clear as Mura approached the stage to take her turn. Carefully looking at the damaged dummy Oobleck was pulling away, she saw to her surprise that it looked damp around edges of the scorch marks.

' _Water and lightning,_ _clever'_  she realized. The rings on her ring and pinky fingers were infused with water and lightning Dust respectively. While she was clinging to the dummy, she must have been soaking it with water, before zapping it with her final blow. Beryl definitely wasn't someone to underestimate. But only time would tell if her score could beat Yang's performance. But if all went according to plan, it wouldn't matter if it did.

Murasaki planned to sweep them all.

"You can begin Miss Zenith the moment I get clear. Good luck!" Professor Port explained as he set down the fresh dummy before retreating hastily. Smart move-she wasn't going to waste a moment.

* * *

"Seriously, you need to go apologize to her, she was really shaken."

"No."

"Ummm guys?"

"Come on man, what is it going to take?"

"I'm not apologizing."  
"Guys!"

"Just talk to her at least-"

"I won't."

"GUYS!"

"What?"

"She's-" a loud bang ended her sentence as Mura's performance began, putting an end to the male's bickering. The dummy was already in the air, having been lifted off the ground from simultaneous cannon shots, before getting slammed into by  _Dawn_ as Mura spun around _._ Then  _Dusk_. Then  _Dawn_ again, followed by  _Dusk_  in a rhythmic pattern. With each hit, Mura continued to gain momentum, spinning faster and faster.

"So this is what she's been working on by herself all this time," Luna remarked, amazed at her partner's skill.

"Considering she is used her Semblance to lift the target off the ground before her first shots, and continuing to use it to lessen how strong her blows need to be, it's very impressive," Umbra agreed, saying more words in one go than he did in entire days though regret immediately showed.

"Was that a compliment?" Leif snickered.

"You tell her and I'll kill you."

"Might just be worth it," Leif laughed, Luna joining him as Mura continued climbing up higher and higher.

* * *

_Dawn._

_Dusk._

_Dawn._

_Dusk._

With each swing her arms felt heavier and heavier as Mura approached her limit. Her Aura couldn't be stretched much further, barely able to keep herself and the target moving upwards. At this point she was as high as Yang as was, with a fairly good bird's eye view of the field below. While the view was sorely tempting, she needed to stay focused, lest she be crushed by the heavy dummy above her.

' _Time to wrap it_ _up_ ' she decided, lessening her Semblance. The bag rapidly slowed it's upwards trajectory as Mura wrapped her arms around it, similar to how Beryl did before. However, unlike Beryl's elemental combination, the LUMO member opted for a simpler approach. Releasing the dummy and letting them both fall to Remnant for a second to build up speed, Mura indulged herself for a brief moment to look around.

It was totally worth it.

The CCT towered above her, as did most of the buildings, but the archways that spanned outwards from the school were barely much higher than her. A bit of relief filled her that she wasn't acrophobic, otherwise being this high up would likely have put her in a state of sho-

She blinked several times, staring at the closest arch in the distance.

A man on top stared back.

While he wasn't close, her eyes could still faintly make out his general features. Far more recognizable however was the stark white and grey uniform of the Atlas Military.

Her mind went blank, her feelings numb, all she could do was stare agape in shock until a sickening crunch sent shockwaves of pain through her body as darkness overtook her.


	37. Familial Resemblence

**Nurse's Office, Beacon Academy**

"…should have stayed till she woke up."

"I already chewed him out about Blake without losing much ground, picking two fights with him in one day would be really pushing it."

"Still though…"

Voices began filtering in as Mura's eyes slowly flickered awake. Her whole body was panged by dull throbs from head to toe. Trying to rise up only evoked a whimper of pain, which instantly caught the voices attention.

"Mura! You're awake!" Luna exclaimed, rushing to her side.

"Try not to move, you hit the ground pretty hard," Leif explained, approaching from the other side.

"The ground…?" Mura questioned, unsure of what happened. A few seconds passed, and the memory of the events came rushing in. She had lost focus, and simply fell to the ground instead of finishing the blow on the dummy… but why hadn't she caught herself, landed safely? She still had Aura, otherwise the damage would have been far worse, which meant… her eyes went wide.

The man on the arch. His face.

"The nurse says you should be good to go in a few hours, so just try to-hey Mura!" Leif suddenly cried as she rose from the bed rapidly, pushing him out of the way. The arch. That man. She had to know.

"Wait, where are you going?" She heard Luna shout as the distance between the two expanded. They might follow her, but she didn't care. She had to know just what she saw. Every rational part of her brain screamed that she was wrong, but she had to be sure.

She had to know if it was him.

Sprinting down the hallway full tilt, she pushed past anyone who was unfortunate enough to be in her way. Out the double doors to the courtyard. Straight down the paths to towards the training field, stopping short at the base of the archway nearest to it. Glancing straight up, she saw the top was cloaked in shadows from the setting sun. While she lacked her shields and her Aura reserves were still too low to use her Semblance, Mura noted tiny grooves notched in the main pillar. Climbing it was then.

Despite her arms aching in protest, she kept moving skyward. Left arm, right arm, left arm, right arm. Her mind all the while racing over the same seconds of memory from earlier, trying to find anything she might have missed, anything to give more proof to her hopeless theory. Finally, she reached the top, shielding her eyes from the sunset's rays as she pulled herself up.

As she feared, yet expected, the top of the arch was empty.

' _I know I saw him up here…well I saw someone up_ _here'_ she corrected herself, trying to avoid becoming fixated on her baseless hopes. She saw the body herself years ago. There was no way it could be him, no matter how hard she wished. He was- a slight scuff of footsteps was heard behind her.

"Dad-" Mura let out turning abruptly, trying to contain a smile of happiness.

It fell flat instantly as her eyes locked eyes with the familiar person.

It was indeed the man she saw early today, but not the one she had hoped for desperately, though they bared plenty of resemblance. A middle aged man, greying hair with a scruffy beard, his face only now beginning to wrinkle, looked down at her. A face that could pass for her dad's at a distance but wouldn't fool anyone up close.

"Hello Mura," the man softly said, though the firm tone was easily heard layered underneath.

"Wh-why are you here? Did mom-" she managed to croak, her voice barely coming to her as her whole world began crumbling out from underneath her.

"I think you know why," the man took a step closer towards the shell-shocked Mura.

"I'm bringing you home."


	38. An Unexpected Parting

**Beacon Academy First Year Dorms, Vale**

Hunting through the whole school proved to be pointless for Leif and Luna as Mura proved to be just as hard to find as Umbra. At least the anti-social giant could sometimes be found at the library; Mura simply seemed to have vanished into thin air. Granted, this wasn't the first time the girl had done this, but it was a stark change after weeks of what seemed like improvement. Hopefully she'll get over whatever freaked her out before Leif would be forced to report this to the professors.

' _Or before Luna's worries_ _worsen.'_  Leif looked over at the Faunus beside him, trying to keep a straight face. While she was clearly trying to keep her composure, cracks started to appear as more and more places turned up Mura-free. Now they were on their way back to LUMO's dorm to check, but if that turned up empty as well… Leif would be forced to call in outside assistance. Maybe classmates first before professors to avoid any potential consequences, though asking either pained him. Why did it only seem like LUMO had these issues? Even CRDL seemed more unified then them, or at the very least hid it better.

Before the elevator doors even fully opened, Luna shimmied out and sprinted down the hall. Cut off mid-though, Leif hurried after her, trying to keep pace. He couldn't blame her for the urgency; despite their rough start, the girls had grown close over the course of the semester. They were practically sisters. Not that any of them knew what having siblings was like, except for perhaps Umbra, who none of them had asked for obvious reasons. Even while jogging, Leif caught himself wondering how he would react if it was Umbra missing instead of Mura? Probably would be more—

"Leif."

A sudden horrified whisper cut through his thoughts. Luna was standing right at their door, but had yet to enter. Unusual, until Leif closed the distance and saw why. The door had not been shut all the way. That wasn't too weird in and of itself, but given the past hour's events, nothing could be overlooked. He braced himself and slowly opened the door, hand in a fist as if he knew how to fight unarmed.

Thankfully, the fist was unneeded as their living quarters came into view: devoid of living souls, unless they were hiding under the bed like the Boogey-Grimm. However, while the Boogey-Grimm was just an old wives' tale to scare kids into behaving, the disastrous sight before him was very real indeed. Dresser drawers were pulled out, belongings scattered on the desk and nightstand. The closet door was half open, with some hangers left messily on the ground. Leif and Mura tried to keep the room fairly decent, though it was Luna who really made sure they were ready to receive guests at any time. Not that that happened often, but it was nice to have the option.

Had someone tried to steal something from the team? There was nothing of value here; their scrolls were always on them, their weapons in the lockers, and none of them had much Lien to their name. Furthermore, while there were no security cameras in the dorm rooms themselves, the hallways had them, same as the building exteriors. Whoever did it wouldn't be very hard to track down.

Luna's hand went to her vest's side pocket, producing her scroll.

"I'm going to call her again," she said nervously. Leif simply nodded. Something was off, that much was clear. But what could it be? There had to be a clue here, some evidence, something to— A loud buzzing suddenly came from the direction of the end table between the girls' beds. Some clichés really did happen it seemed. Leaving Luna to her scroll call, Leif moved towards the buzzing. It was rhythmic, buzzing at set intervals, almost like… like a… Leif frowned as he reached into the end table drawer. Feeling vibrations pulse through his bones, he pulled out an all-too-familiar looking device, its screen lit up to show an incoming call from 'Partner :)'. His heart sinking rapidly as accepted the call to confirm his suspicions.

"Mura! Finally! Where are you?" A panicked female voice yelled at him, both through the speaker of the scroll and from directly behind him.

"Right here in front of you," he sighed, turning around, holding up the scroll. It took Luna a moment to process before her wolf ears went flat against her silver hair in distress. Leif ended the call silently, bringing up the lock screen showing the dozens of other missed calls and texts from Luna, before reexamining their room with a new frame of mind. So Mura had come here, but left her scroll. Why? Why tear up the room? Has she hidden something here, somehow under all their noses? It's possible… but didn't seem quite right.

Luna seemed to have given up, or at least needed a moment, shuffling over to sit on her partner's bed. Her downtrodden expression grew as she moved Mura's uniform, unfolded and laid messily over the bed spread. Out of habit, she began to fold it, eyes beginning to water. As worried as he was about Mura missing, a flicker of anger was beginning to burn. It was one thing to leave him and Umbra in the dark, but her own partner? Inexcusable, far worse than just leaving out her dirty clothes all over… all over the…

Leif frowned, gears starting to turn as he looked over the mess. At first he thought it was just everyone's things scattered about, but then he realized a key difference. Not one of the things left out were Mura's with two distinct exceptions. Her school uniforms and her scroll. Her school assigned scroll that could likely track her if absolutely needed. Her uniforms that were only required to be worn at school. Why were those her only belongings here? A thief looking for valuables would have taken the scroll; a stalker would have taken all her clothes, not just some. If it was Mura who had come to the room, why would she take everything but those two things? Unless…

"She's not planning on coming back."

* * *

**Beacon Courtyard**

Umbra scowled as he stretched his legs, his muscles still surprisingly aching from today's event. It had been a while since he had seen that much action in a single go, evident by his soreness. This only served to grow his frustrations further; curse this school for making him go soft by Skugga standards. True, he had won the competition, the only one of LUMO to actually succeed at something today, but it should never had been that close. He needed to finish his mission and leave this place, the sooner the better.

Though apparently he wasn't the only one to feel that way. The last fifteen minutes had been spent tracking his teammate, his curiosity for once winning over his disinterest. He had exited the library when he saw first saw Mura, looking paler than usual, talking in low whispers with an unknown man, both moving somewhat quickly towards the dorms. The stranger definitely had a crisp military look, though he failed to recognize the uniform. Umbra had a hunch he wasn't local though, probably from wherever Mura hailed from. Following the two undetected to the dorms, Umbra had chosen to wait outside, rather than risk discovery in the narrow, well-lit corridors. Another ten minutes had flown by, most of which was spent debating whether this was worth his time, before he saw more movement by the dorms. Leif and Luna, both looking very perturbed; his idiot partner anxious, the Faunus distressed. Seconds after they went in one side of the building, Mura and the stranger exited the opposite, this time outfitted with a large backpack, the same one she had the day they first met.

Definitely looked as filled as it was that day, but with one distinct difference.

No shields.

Interesting.

Unlike the bag however, Mura's expression was far from the same, a mix of uncertainty and defeat. Very unlike the normally annoying cocky attitude she usually had. Something was off, which would explain the buzzing of the school given mobile device on him for the past half hour. Leif and Luna were obviously looking for her, but would likely just miss her.

' _Oh well, not my_ _problem,_ ' Umbra shrugged, turning to head to the cafeteria for some dinner. About ten steps into the journey, his feet ground to a halt, concern growing. Not for Mura's safety or anything trivial like that, but for his own mission. If Mura really was leaving, it was likely that the Beacon staff would fill her spot on the team somehow. That meant learning a new person's patterns, as well as making sure that the newcomer would be as docile and disinterested in his habits as their predecessor. Worse, Mura leaving may put the team under the watchful eye of others, to make sure it wasn't something wrong with the team itself.

His face scrunched up in frustration before a long exhale steamed out his nostrils, turning around as he dug the Dust powered device - what did the others call it, a scroll? - out of his robe's pocket. Time to figure out how to use this thing. This new challenge was welcomed though, since it would help distract him from a different, new, confusing emotion that dwelled deep down within him.

* * *

If it had been any other day, Luna would have been blown away by what was on her scroll. She would have asked her partner to pinch her, to make sure she wasn't dreaming. However, this wasn't any other day and her partner was nowhere to be seen. But now thanks to Umbra, they finally had her location, or at the very least, her destination.

[uimaly0028 {18:47}]: MUraahheaqded toolanndefing pasd

Considering none of them had even seen Umbra use his scroll before, the fact that he was able to send a message at all was a miracle in itself, never mind the contents. Her and Leif burst out of the dorm building doors closest to the central courtyard, sprinting towards the main causeway. Urgency filled their every step, both first years likely realizing the same conclusion. Mura's stuff was gone with the exception of her school stuff and she was heading for the airship docking pads. If they didn't catch up with her here, they might never learn the truth.

Passing by the courtyard's fountain, they turned onto the main walk, thankful that it was devoid of people due to the dinner time rush. Down at the end, they could see the unmistakable purple hair of their teammate, her partner, back turned as she walked further away. What almost slowed her pace however was the taller man walking beside her. Hair greying, almost matching the color of his clothes, Luna couldn't begin to fathom who he was. Glancing over at Leif as they ran, she saw he looked equally confused but no less determined. Further confounding her was the sight she saw beyond Leif, moving at fast walking speed yet able to keep pace due to his massive stride was Umbra, eyes trained on their teammate.

All of LUMO was here now, a rare sight outside of classroom functions.

Her surprise began to turn to horror as she heard the distant sound of an engine growing closer. The origin was quickly identified as an airbus flew up from below the cliff side, settling down to land, its purpose easily guessed. They weren't going to make it, not unless-

"MURA!" she shouted with all the volume she could muster, trying not to lose speed, though Leif and Umbra started to pull ahead. Her voice didn't go unheard however, as her partner slowed to a stop and turned around, surprise evident. Not just surprise though, it was clearly mixed with something else…sadness. The man accompanying her turned about as well, his facial features now visible. The man was no spring chicken, looking to be around the age of her father, not quite fifty but definitely beyond thirty. It was his white clothing, or rather, the insignia on his white uniform that was more identifiable however.

What the hell was an Atlas military officer doing here?

What did Mura have to do with this?

Her feet slowed to a stop as her mind slammed full speed into a brick wall of realization.

' _You just don't_ _understand,'_  Mura's words after her meeting with the headmaster echoed in her mind.

' _I just have a lot of stuff in my_ _past,'_ More of her partner's past words, this time from their apologetic talk by the practice field.

All the signs were there, plain as day. Luna just didn't look deep enough, trying to slowly grow the trust between the two, though it seemed now that that trust was one sided. At least that what logic was screaming, but her heart just didn't accept yet. Not yet. Not until she heard it from her.

Mura seemed to start towards them, but the man was faster, imposing himself slightly between both sides. Behind him, the airbus set down, the doors opening to reveal two more individuals, though both were wearing less formal attire compared to the older man. Judging by their disciplined looks, it wasn't much of a stretch to guess they too were from the military complex of Atlas. Both stared down the three students, looking warily at each, hands twitching.

"What's going on here?" Leif asked loudly, both him and Umbra, who was still off to the side, coming to a halt, keeping a respectful distance from their teammate and her escort. Mura again, looked like she was about to speak, but was again cut off by the officer.

"Escorting this young lady home, at her mother's request," the man stated, voice unwavering.

"She is a student at Beacon Academy and a member of my team," Leif countered, trying to match the stranger's confidence, if only barely.

"Family trumps teammates, young man," he said crossly, obviously unimpressed.

"Then why did her mother send you instead of coming herself?"

"Because as Murasaki's uncle, I serve in that family role just as well as her." Unlike Leif's counter, Luna could tell this one actually struck home. Her leader's confident look faltered for a brief moment, yet it was more than long enough to be seen by the man. Mura's face was stone, but her eyes showed sadness, not fear. Fear would be the response if she was under duress, if the man was lying, but sadness was a different story. And that would mean…

"I assume you ran this by the administration?"

"You're welcome to double check." The man gruffly replied, still countering Leif's every word. She heard Leif swear uncharacteristically under his breath; they could double check, but that'd take time and it was clear this man wouldn't be waiting. Then Leif's face lit up as he reached for his pocket.

"Sure thing, let me just grab my scroll here." The man's face shifted for the first time from confident to a grimace. He obviously hadn't expected to Leif to call his bluff like that, or at least not be here when he did. She heard a sudden shift in moment to her far right; Umbra's hand had flown behind his back, freezing just around his staff. The cause was the officer's hand drifting to his side, hovering over what looked like a block. Both plain clothes individuals shifted to fighting stances, hands moving to unseen equipment. Tension grew even thicker in the air, her own trepidation growing quickly, unsure as to what to do.

Would they really risk a fight here? Only Umbra was armed out of the three of them, not to mention they were only first years. A fight would be over instantly, but would draw plenty of attention-

The silence was broken by her own partner.

"Guys, I'm sorry," Mura blurted out, "just let me go, please. I have to go home."

Luna was dumbstruck, her vision starting to blur again. Had Mura just said that?

"What?" their leader questioned, sounding as shocked as her. "Y-you actually want to leave?"

"Yea-ah. What, are you gonna do, order me to stay?" Mura shot back, in character but sounding almost forced. It was hard to tell now, Luna's thoughts muddled more and more by emotions.

"No! I just, I thought…" the revelation had taken its toll on him as well, his voice and conviction beginning to falter..

"Good-d" Mura declared, swallowing out of what looked like nerves "Well…goodbye then."

Feeling utterly defeated, Luna could only watch sadly as her partner boarded the ship with her uncle, flying slowly out of sight.


	39. In Front of One's Face

**Airbus above Vale**

Watching the city lights shrink away in the distance kept Mura's own dwindling hopes in the forefront of her mind. Ever since the airbus had lifted off from the campus landing pad, the cabin had been filled with a dead silence. Her uncle and the unknown women were in the cockpit while the man was sitting beside her in the cabin. Even though it appeared he was thoughtlessly gazing out the window, Mura could tell from his expression that he was clearly on alert; despite the plain street clothes, his background and that of the women were evident. Like Uncle Gris, they were Atlas specialists, students who graduated from the Atlas Academy and joined the military right out of the gate. Real professionals.

' _Mom reached out to Uncle just to get me back?_ ' Mura pondered for a brief moment before feeling stupidity sweep through her. Of course she would; Mura was her precious only child, a living keepsake of her late husband. Even if it meant humbling herself and going to her former brother-in-law for help, her mother would never give up trying to keep her 'safe.'

It was just one big pointless fight in the end.

"We'll be landing shortly." Her uncle's words cut through her miserable thoughts, though she continued her silence. A sigh was heard followed by a shifting in the seat beside her as the specialist was replaced by her uncle.

"Look, Mura, I know you may not agree with all this, but it's for the best. You don't want to distress your own mother anymore than she has been these past few years, right?" At those words, flashbacks to months ago shot through her. Being escorted to and from class constantly. Her mother's strained expression at watching her leave her side each day. The look of despair in her green eyes the day Mura left. The look that had caused tears as she ran in her own eyes, purple like her father's. Just another reason she wanted her to be kept close.

Well… she'd be getting her wish now.

"I guess," Mura quietly answered, not quite agreeing but already resigning herself to her fate. Deep down, the teenager knew there had been one way out, but after considering it for less than a second, she slammed the door tightly shut on it, burying it deep down. She would not risk her team for even a shot at freedom, even if her uncle was likely bluffing in his threats when he reached for his weapon. The man was a consummate professional, the ideal Atlas specialist, which meant getting the mission done at any cost. Umbra, for all his bluster, likely wouldn't have last more than a minute against him, Leif and Luna even less so.

' _Then we became partners, this quiet shy loner Faunus and_ _me, a_ _confident_ _and_ _strong, if not a bit brash, human, paired for the rest of our school years together._ ' That day at the practice range suddenly came to mind, when she and Luna first really talked, their hearts speaking out without masks. The two of them sitting alone on the bench suddenly became them studying in the library for one of Oobleck's difficult tests. Then groan-laughing at one of Yang's bad puns in the student common area. Sparring before a combat exam. Shopping in Vale. All these pleasant memories with Luna, the friend…the sister she never had.

As the airbus began to land, it took Mura everything she had to keep the tears from flowing. Tears wouldn't fix anything, wouldn't change anything. Once again, she was abandoning everything she knew, only this time it wasn't by choice. It was because—

"Thank heavens you're okay sweetie!" A soft tearful voice exclaimed coming closer as the door slide open. Mura slowly turned to the source of all of this, reluctantly bringing her eyes to meet her mother's.

* * *

**Beacon Landing Pad, Vale**

The space that had contained the airbus remained empty no matter how long Leif continued to stare at it. Luna had barely moved, the only change being falling to the ground with her arms wrapped around her legs, wolf ears drooped low. Amazingly enough, even Umbra was still there, his expression as unreadable as ever, though his mere presence said plenty.

None of them knew what to do.

Leif's brow crinkled as he went over the events again. Mura's time here hadn't always been the smoothest, but to just want to leave like that? It felt off, way off, but he had no proof. Coupled with her supposed uncle's words, that her mother had requested her to return home, along with what he was pretty sure was subtle threats, meant LUMO was in a bad spot. Mura was still technically a minor, meaning her thoughts on the matter were irrelevant. If she made a serious case for staying, Beacon may have been able to intervene, but she said outright that it was her choice…meaning there was no real hope there.

' _What will happen to LUMO now? Will Ozpin just fill our team with someone else?_   _How would that even work?_ ' He sighed, concerned for their future.

"We have to go after her." A mumble from below, so quiet Leif almost missed it.

"Luna…"

"We can't just let her leave like that. Not without talking to her," Luna continued quietly, emotion straining her voice. Umbra turned his head, clearly listening but remaining silent. Despite the impulses going off in his heart, Leif shook his head.

"We can't. You heard her, this was her choice, her decision—"

"So what!" Luna snapped back suddenly, rising to her feet. "What she said, it wasn't good enough!"

"It doesn't matter if it wasn't good enough, we can't just—"

"Mura's my partner! Our teammate! We can't just let her walk away without—"

"Don't you think I know that?" Leif cut in loudly, silencing the Faunus. Her cowed expression made him realize he came off harsher than intended. "Look, I want to go after her just as much as you do, but you heard them both. It was her mother's request and her own choice, there's nothing we can—"

"Coward." A single rumbling word interrupted the Vale first year. Glancing back, Umbra was now coming closer.

"Oh now you decide to—"

"You're the leader here. Murasaki is your responsibility and you just let her leave without your permission, without even putting up a fight."

"I think you're seriously misreading the situation here—"

"Am I?" Umbra boomed, closing the gap, causing Leif to stumble backwards a few steps. "Do you really think that she wanted to leave? After everything we've been through?"

"I—"

"You're pathetic Leif Circinus. She needed you and you did nothing."

"That's not fair Umbra! She made her choice, she abandoned us, chose to—" A sting flashed across his face. His first thought was that Umbra had punched him, but the giant looked more surprised than anything. Eyes flickering, they registered the sight of Luna's outstretched hand still lingering in the air, tears rolling down her face.

"Mura would never have chosen this! She wouldn't leave us— leave me. Not like this!" Luna cried. "But you know that…don't you?"

"Luna, I…" Words failed him as his heart sank further, accepting what he was trying to ignore all along. One thing about that girl had been consistent from the day they met, one driving factor, something she did anything to protect.

Murasaki Zenith valued her freedom to live as she pleased above all else.

* _"I have to go home"_ *

Have to. Not need.

In that moment, before boarding the airbus, she had no freedom left.

"You're right," he finally said, guilt flooding him, "you're absolutely right."

"I don't want to hear that, you idiot," Luna said, frustrated tears continuing to fall. "I want to hear what we're going to do to get her back." She was right again, but he could barely think straight, too many emotions clouding his judgment. He just needed a minute to recover, to gather his thoughts—A cracking pain went through his skull. This time it was Umbra, but a head-butt instead of a slap. Anger shot through him until he realized the emotions were being melted away by adrenaline. He looked up at his partner, who remained expressionless yet surprisingly attentive. Again, Umbra proved to be far more understanding than he let on.

Nodding a silent thanks, Leif focused his cleared mind at the task at hand. Given her uncle was wearing an Atlas military uniform, that meant Atlas likely was their destination. Mura and her uncle left on an airbus, yet those weren't designed for long distance travel, which meant they must have some other means of transportation to leave the kingdom. They couldn't directly reach Atlas by land either. Even traveling to a northern settlement on foot to catch a boat was unlikely; the Grimm and the White Fang made sure of that.

That left boats and airships. Airships would be quicker but more noticeable, with boats having the inverse conditions. Given the suddenness of their departure and how her uncle didn't seem keen on waiting for Leif to check with the administration, he had to assume that this was being done off the books, no paper trail such as a chartered boat or plane tickets. Considering they were Atlas military, anything was possible, including unauthorized transportation within the city. However, there were only so many places one could keep a small airship or boat, not to mention only so many ways to get one in without being seen. Even then, one could only hide from so many eyes, meaning if he asked the right people…

"Luna, call for an airbus, we need to be ready to go as soon as it gets here." Leif finally said, startling the tear stricken girl. "Umbra, I need you to run to the lockers and get our weapons, I'll text you our combinations on the way."

"What about her shields?" Umbra grunted. The team leader swore, now recalling Mura didn't have them on her.

"We don't know her locker combo, but I have her scroll. We'll figure that out when we find her." Umbra nodded, and sprinted off. Leif paused in shock for a moment, realizing the Umbra just obeyed an order without question. Was he that concerned about Mura? Worried that she really was in trouble-

' _Nope, he's hoping there will be trouble and wants to make sure we get to her in time for a_ _fight.'_  Leif face-palmed, almost amused by his partner's simple drive.

"Airbus will be here in ten minutes," Luna informed him, sniffling still though trying to dry the tears.

Time to make a few phone calls.


	40. Calling Contacts

**Airbus, Vale Airspace**

"Yes, yes you'll get paid for the hovering time, just hang on," Leif exasperated to the pilot, rapidly scrolling through his contacts. They were heading to the conflux of the two rivers running through the Vale, dead center in the middle of the city. Perfect for when he made the decision of where to look.

' _Now to determine_ _that._ ' Leif hit the call button, hoping she was still awake. One ring. Two rings. Three rings. Four-

"You pick a fine time to actually call me," a sleepy voice answers, clearly annoyed.

"I said I'd call you, didn't I?" The courtesy was forced, Leif trying to avoid any rudeness. This fact didn't escape Jasmine Elv's notice.

"Alright what is it? You're clearly tense."

"I need your help, it's important."

"You wouldn't waste my time if it wasn't."

"Does your older brother still work at the Vale ATCT?"

"Bole? Yeah, still pisses Dad off anytime his name comes up."

"I need you to patch him into the call ASAP."

"Why exactly?"  
"Jas, please," Leif begged. Silence passed for a moment, the only sounds being the hum of the engines.

"Okay fine, give me a minute, he should be on shift right now."

"I'm counting on it." Bole Elv was the black sheep of the Elv family. As the first born son, it seemed he was destined to take over as chief of police, though destiny has a funny way of working. As Bole grew up, his interest grew further and further away from the realm of law enforcement, entering instead into the realm of avionics. The few times Leif had been over to their house, Bole could always be found in his room painting model aircraft or studying schematics. Didn't take too long after he hit adulthood for him to move out and get a civil service job at the Vale Air Traffic Control Tower, much to his father's chagrin. That left Jasmine as the heir apparent, something she didn't mind. Her father, on the other hand, seriously disliked the idea of his little princess entering the dangerous world of criminal justice.

Despite the estrangement, Jasmine remained on good terms with her older brother, something Leif was counting on. Soon enough, his scroll chimed as another caller was connected. Leif quickly put the call on speaker to keep Luna and Umbra in the loop.

"Sup sis, didn't expect you to be calling right now."

"Well you can thank a certain someone for that."

"Oh? Let me guess, you need advice about how to act around a certain surfer boy you've known for—"

"Bole! It's a conference call if you haven't noticed!" Jasmine quickly interjected, likely as red in the face as Leif was turning right now. She went to her brother about him before? What exactly did she ask him about—A daunting look from Luna reminded him of the urgent situation at hand. Questions for later then.

"Hey Bole, it's Leif, Leif Cir-"

"Sup man, speak of the devil! What's it been, three years?"

"Give or take."

"So what exactly do I owe the pleasure? Wait I'm not-I'm not couple's counseling am I?"

"Bole!" Jasmine groaned while her brother chuckled. Leif noticed the peeved expressions on his teammates' faces, though the Elv siblings could hardly know their circumstance. He needed to keep this call focused.

"No, no, something more urgent actually. You're at work right now, right?"

"Err yes, though I'm starting to regret taking this call."

"Can you check for any aircraft scheduled to depart from anywhere in the Kingdom tonight? Specifically, any going to Atlas?"

Again, only the engines could be heard for moment.

"What exactly is this about?" Bole finally asked, his normal laid back tone abandoned.

"It would take too long to explain, please Bole, can you check or not?"

"I'd be breaking half a dozen regs to tell you this you know."

"I'll owe you one," both Leif and Jasmine said in unison, much to their mutual surprise. Another silent moment before a long sigh.

"Alright, give me a moment. You're lucky I'm the only one in here for the next hour." A clutter of sounds was heard following by the rapid sound of typing, Leif surmising that the scroll had been set down while the man worked. At this point the airbus was lazily spinning in circles, vital time slowly passing. Finally, Bole's voice returned to the phone.

"So I have good news and bad news."

"Both please."

"Good news is anything going to Atlas is grounded till a storm passes to the north. Bad news is we have nothing on record leaving tonight anyways. I already triple checked, meaning if someone is leaving, they either are flying under the radar or you got the destination wrong."

"Atlas is it for sure," Leif restated while taking in the other information. If they were intending to leave by air, that storm would ground them, regardless if they were in the records or not. Chances are, they had to know about the storm, it was sure to be in the weather reports for the week. Why make their move for Mura today if they couldn't leave quickly? Did something force their hand? Were they actually going somewhere else? All was possible, but Leif found himself betting that none of that was the case. All of those ideas were too complicated for something that seemed like a simple family retrieval, provided he wasn't gravely underestimating the situation.

"Bole, has there been any kind of weird air traffic in the past week from Atlas?"  
"Already checked. Not a thing unless they flew under another kingdom's flag or somehow flew in under the radar." That pushed Leif further to the water option. It would be much easier to get a boat in and out without much notice compared to an airship. Nothing was completely certain, but it was enough for him.

"Thank you so much Bole, you too Jasmine," Leif quickly said, knowing their next move.

"Mind explaining now?" Jasmine asked, as if sensing what Leif was about to do.

"I'll explain later, promise, but I need to go now."

"Leif wait—" Her voice was cut off as he ended the call, rapidly dialing in the next number. Guilt was immediate, but he had to push that aside for now. Time was critical.

"So you're thinking they traveled by boat," Luna surmised, able to keep up with the conversation.

"It's the only thing that makes sense, hopefully this confirms it," Leif replied, bringing the scroll to his ear. ' _Pick up, pick up, pick up_.'

"You know how late it is, right son?" The familiar voice answered wasn't the one he was expecting but it was just as welcomed.

"D-dad? I thought you were still out at sea?"

"Just got back in an hour ago, a storm cut the fishing short by a few days." His father explained, his exhausted voice practically confirming as much. "You know, I'd love to chat son, but it's really late—"  
"I need your help Dad," Leif blurted out, knowing his dad would drone on if he didn't. His voice must have sounded more urgent then he realized as the opposing voice went silent immediately.

"Go ahead."

"Mr. Burke, he still works at the port, right?"

"Geel? Yeah, saw him not too long after I got in to get my haul inspected—"

"Is he still working? Can you add him to the call?"

"What's this about Leif?"

"Dad please," Leif begged. There wasn't time to explain, not now. A sigh came through the speaker before numbers were thankfully heard dialing. Two rings later, another chime was heard.

"Whaddya forget this time Circinus? I ain't walking all the way down to the wharf again just because you think you 'may' have left your lights on," a jovial voice chuckled.

"Nothing, I think," his dad laughed, though to Leif's relief he didn't lose focus "My son's on the line too by the way, has some questions for ya."

"Leif? How are you boy? Heard you got into the fancy academy on the hill, congrats!"

"Thank you sir, but it's kind of an emergency," Leif rapidly answered, trying to emphasize the urgency.

"Is that so? How can I help?"

"Is there any ships currently docked from Atlas?"

There was a silent pause.

"You know I can't just give that information away, right?"

"Please sir, this is important!"

"I could lose my job—"

"Damnit Geel, I'll throw you an extra few fish from the haul, just tell him what he wants to know!" His dad cut in, Leif silently thanking him for recognizing the situation. A fuming sigh was heard followed by the clacking of keys.

"They better be good fish," the older man finally answered. "Well, there aren't any Atlas ships currently docked. Got a Schnee freighter docking in two days but nothing else." Numbness was instant. That was it then, his gamble failed. With no lead on Mura's abductors exit plan, the only option left was to search the city and hope to get lucky, which meant she was as good as gone. His fist clenched in regret. Why didn't he fight harder for her in the courtyard, force the issue to be taken to Ozpin? Murasaki was his teammate, he was her team leader, and he failed her—

"Well that's odd," Geel suddenly said. "Something's off here."

Leif's thoughts stopped dead. A hope? He didn't spare speak, lest he jinx their chances.

"The records show a Vacuo passenger ship docked at Terminal 11, but that ship left a month ago. I did the final sign off myself."

"A glitch in the system?" His dad suggested, much to Leif's chagrin. Don't ruin their only shot!

"No, I've seen glitches before, this ain't it. Someone hacked our network," Geel grumbled. "Kiddo, whatever you're looking for, I'd start looking there."

"Thank you so much Mister Geel, Dad. I gotta go—"

"Leif wait!"

"Dad, seriously I need to—"

"Be careful son. Because I want an explanation after this is all over."

"I…I will."

"Good luck then, your mom and I will talk to you soon," his dad quietly said, ending the call.

"Terminal 11?" Luna asked, as Leif made his way to the cockpit.

"One of the smaller docks, meant for passenger and fishing ships. It's more out of the way compared to the large terminals, would be a fairly good spot to hide away from prying eyes if no one had a good reason to look there."

"So that's our destination?" Umbra concluded.

"In a manner of speaking," Leif answered, smiling for the first time in hours as the gears in his mind began to turn.

* * *

**Vale Dockyards, Vale**

"And I'll be sure to make your favorite meal when we get home, some grilled ham and cheese sandwiches," her mom continued ignorantly, despite Mura's silence for the better part of the past hour. Apparently, her uncle was taking no chances, having landed the airbus far away from however they were leaving Vale and walking the remaining distance. As they turned down another alley, the sound of waves began to reach her ears and the smell of salt filling her nose.

Despite her best efforts to avoid thinking about anything related to Beacon, her mind continued to foil her. Luna's soft smile, Leif's terrible jokes, Umbra's strongman act. A sense of loss kept building and building, the realization she was going to be forced to leave that all behind. All for her mother's worrisome disposition...

"The boat's not far now," Uncle Gris stated, eyes keeping watch like the rest of his squad, spread out around the two women. Another few minutes of silent walking went by, as they walked along the empty docks, devoid of both workers and civilians given the time of night. Her legs felt like lead, each step heavier than the last, a prisoner marching back to her cell.

Suddenly, she nearly stumbled as her uncle came to a sudden stop.

The group's slowing footsteps clacked on a level platform that spanned across a drainage canal. Peering around her uncle, the sight took her breath away.

There stood her partner, bow in hand, looking fearful but determined.

Luna Okirikiri.


	41. Where You Want to Be

**Vale Dockyards, Vale**

"Mura…" Luna's soft voice called out, breaking the silence her appearance brought. To Mura, that quiet sound was a sudden warm embrace in a very dark room. How did she find her? Where was everyone else? Were they really here to save her? After everything that happened? After all her lies? Mura felt her body move forward, only for her uncle to put his arm out, blocking her. His body tensed, his other hand hovering over his belt while his squad shifted to a ready stance.

Tension rapidly began to build in the air around them.

"Mura… do you really want to leave?" her partner asked, timid as ever yet her eyes held conviction. That question cut through her mind, pulling at her every emotion. She knew what she wanted, but it still seemed so distant.

"I…" The Atlesian girl started, but was quickly interrupted.

"She should be home with her mother, that's what's—"

"I want to hear it from her!" Luna cut in loudly, the sudden change in volume catching Uncle Gris by surprise. Mura tried to find her words again, but none seemed to leave her throat.

"I know there's so much I don't know about you, so much you kept hidden for your own reasons," her partner continued, her voice growing soft once more "but… during our short time together here, I truly felt like you were someone I could depend on, my first real friend." Mura's eyes started to dampen. Damn it Luna; why did she always know how to get around her guard?

"I never had any siblings growing up, no close friends, so I got used to being alone. But these past two months, being with you, Leif, even Umbra, has shown me that it's okay to not be alone, to let others influence your life. And despite growing up so alone, after being your partner I really, really, really don't want to go back to that loneliness." Luna wiped her eyes, clearly trying to hold back tears.

"And… I really believe that you don't want to be alone either. So please tell me… do you really want to leave us?"

Silence filled the air, but not in Mura's mind. Snapshots of the past two months raced about. Taking down Grimm in the Emerald Forest. Becoming partners with Luna. Barely escaping death with Leif. Teasing Umbra. Feverishly studying for tests with her fellow first years. Being relieved when said tests were over. The happiest she had been in years.

And in that moment, the answer became clear as day.

"No," she whispered.

"Mura…" Her mom turned, horrified by her answer. "You can't possibly—"

"No, no, no! I want to stay here! I want to stay here with you Luna, and the rest of my team!" With that answer the flood of tears came forth from both girls, for the first time being truly genuine with each other. No more secrets. No more lies.

Just partners.

"Well that's all I need to hear," a familiar voice called out from below, starling both her and her now very annoyed uncle. A blur shot up from the drainage canal, the wet person delivering a swift punch directly to Uncle Gris's unsuspecting face. While by no means a finishing blow, the suddenness of it was enough to stun him for a moment.

Standing before her, soaking wet, yet looking as confident as ever was her leader, Leif Circinus.

"That's for kidnapping my teammate," Leif shouted, drawing even more ire from the now furious uncle who struggled to regain composure. Mura opened her mouth to warn him about the rest of his squad when a second blur came racing out of the shadows from above, slamming down behind her, knocking two of the soldiers off their feet, while forcing the third to stagger back. As the dust from the impact cleared, Umbra Imaly stood, staffs out, face lit up with hunger for a fight.

"And that's for vaguely threatening the rest of LUMO," Leif finished, unfazed by Umbra's entrance.

"Leif, you're—" Mura started, barely able to find the words before being cut off as a wet hand clasped around hers.

"Yeah I'm here, but it's time to not be!" he quickly said, running past her as he tugged her forward into a run. Shouting around them increased as her uncle tried to bark out orders, her mother shouting incoherently at both him and her daughter, while the remaining unstruck soldier squared off with Umbra. However, Leif seemed more calm than ever, the look on his harkening back to that day on the cliff during the Initiation.

He had a plan.

"Luna, now! Umbra, let's go!" her leader roared "Shut your eyes Mura!" For a split second, she felt the urge to resist the order, but seeing a light crackle around an arrow nocked in her partner's bow quickly changed her mind. Her eyes shut tight, trusting Leif to lead her safely. Suddenly, a bright light shone through the cracks in her eye lids followed by darkness. Taking a chance, she cracked one eye open. The bright light was gone, but looking back over her shoulder, she saw her mother and her uncle's team looking incredibly disoriented. Umbra brought up the rear, shadows receding from around his eyes as he watched their six.

"Nice shot Luna!" Leif whooped, picking up speed. Mura wasn't sure if he had just forgotten he was still holding her hand, but couldn't find any words to say; Leif came for her. LUMO came for her, giving her more familiar security than her mother ever had in the past few years.

As they ran into an alley, a smile broke out for the first time tonight, all her doubts washed away by the wet hand the held hers.

Finally, she knew where she belonged.

* * *

Twisting down the dark back corridors of the wharf, Leif never felt more at home. These were his streets, places he spent hours upon hours exploring with Azul and his other friends. No one was catching them now— A Dust round slammed into the wall right as they turned a corner.

'Well  _Atlas Specialists sure live up to the_ _hype,'_ Leif realized, recalculating. They likely didn't know the area, and were just tracking them, meaning the plan could still work if they could just be delayed…

"Luna, take Mura and go!" he shouted, releasing Mura's hand and turning about. This alley had only a narrow path, barely enough for three people to fit through, and with the crisscrossing nature of this part of town, trying to track by rooftop would be a nightmare. Time to make a stand.

"Wait but what about-"

"Umbra and I will hold them off, just get to the meeting place. We have a plan, just gotta stick to it!" he shouted, drawing his sword. Umbra settled into a combat stance, a wide smile across his face as he slowly twirled his staffs. Probably the first time his partner ever liked an order that came out of his mouth.

"Leif, we aren't just going to leave you both here," Mura scoffed.

"We'll meet up with you soon, now go! I have no clue how long we can hold them off—"

"Says you," Umbra snapped, "This will be easy."

"See? Now go, that's an order!" Both girls hesitated, but only for a moment before moving off, Luna in the lead. While Leif didn't share his partner's surefire confidence, he was fairly certain they could buy at least a few minutes. Soon enough, the patter of footsteps rounded the corner, bringing the boys face to face with the three plainclothes huntsmen, all with weapons out. No sign of that uncle or woman; hopefully they were staying behind and out of the fight.

"So I'm only going to ask this once," Leif declared, "turn around and we can all go about the rest of our night peacefully." Umbra scoffed, but the leader ignored him. Unfortunately, it seemed the trio shared his partner's disposition, glancing at one another before two charged forward, keeping low as the third laid down gunfire. The taller first year took the gunfire head on, blocking most with the twirling staffs while Leif took cover behind him. This was bad; if they got surrounded or maneuvered over, it left them exposed and the girls vulnerable.

Leif didn't pick this alley to move through by chance however. This happened to be an area where steam pipes ran through, exposed to open air. Particularly, they were exposed right at the corner ahead of them. The moment the hail of gunfire stopped, Umbra charged forward to meet their oncoming foes while Leif flicked his blade down and took a deep breath. Steadying himself, he fired down range above the shooter, letting loose a torrent of bullets. While his rounds may not be large, they were more than enough to tear through the pipes, letting a loud hiss of hot steam discharge down, a scream echoing down the alley. He didn't wait to see if that guy was down for the count, locking his blade back down as he ran to join Umbra in holding the line.

* * *

A left, then right, straight ahead to a courtyard. Simple instructions that Leif forced both her and Umbra to memorize over and over on their approach to the docks. Luna still couldn't believe just how well his plan was working, even the parts left up to chance. Once again, Leif was showing not just how strong his intellect was, but just how much he had grown in the past three months at Beacon. There was no hesitation in his order for them to move on, no doubt in his voice as to the purpose of their mission.

All of this for his teammate, her partner.

All this for Murasaki Zenith.

"Come on, we're close!" she relayed to Mura, hustling behind her. Both girls kept pushing forward despite the sound of gunfire echoing down the backstreets of Vale behind them. She had to trust in Leif's plan.

"So how exactly are we getting out of here?" Mura asked, trying to catch up despite the suddenness of everything.

"We aren't!"

"What?!"  
"Just trust Leif, he's been spot on so far!" Luna shouted back, hoping Mura wouldn't choose now of all times to be stubborn. Surprisingly, there was no backtalk or retort, but Luna wasn't complaining. Rounding the last bend, they came out into a small courtyard; Leif said this was used as a fish market during the fall seasons, but was typically left vacant throughout the rest of the year. Fishing through her vest's pockets, she yanked out a scroll.

"Catch!" Luna called out, tossing it to her startled partner. "You might want to get your own weapon after all."

"Wouldn't that mean breaking Beacon's rules about remote weapon drops?"

"Since when do you care about the rules?" Luna winked, while keeping her eyes on the surroundings. Leif and Umbra seemed to be living up to their end of the bargain considering they were still alone. That could change any second though and she had to be ready.

"Called for it, should only be a few minutes away if that lesson on our lockers was accurate," Mura called out, putting her scroll away. Tension remained high, with the gunfire in the distance and all, but the girls were mostly left in silence. Luna couldn't help but steal glances at her partner, growing concerned over her unsettled looks.

"Look Luna—" Mura finally started, but footsteps from behind cut her off, forcing both girls to turn. Emerging on the far side was the Atlas officer and the women, both baring resemblances to the girl next to her, the woman much more so. The man looked calm but his eyes showed flashes of annoyance. Good.

"Mura, stop this please! I only want you to be safe!"

"Someway of showing it! Sending Uncle Gris and the Atlas military after me!"

"Only to make sure you got home safe!"

"Only to make sure I actually would come!"

"Enough!" The man cut in, silencing the two. "Mura, think about this. You are all your mother has left since my brother passed away. Do you really think he would want—"

"Don't you dare try to say what Dad would have wanted!" Mura screamed, angrier than Luna had ever seen her. Her father was dead? "He sure as hell wouldn't have wanted me to be locked up like some precious creature!"

"I grew up with the man, I knew him better than you ever will!" Mura's face went stark white, a mix of rage and sorrow, Luna gripping her bow tighter. She wasn't sure what the next move should be, Leif's plan hadn't accounted for this. But what she did know was that man's words cut deep. Luna had no memories of her mother due to her dying so shortly after birth, but unlike her, it seemed Mura had plenty of memories of her father living on inside her.

"The fact of the matter is; my little brother is gone now. No amount of wishing and wanting will change that," the officer continued, beginning to move closer to the pair. "And I will do everything in my power to protect his legacy, even if that means dragging my niece back home to ensure her safety."

"Not if I have anything-" Luna started to speak but was cut off by a whoosh and a crash to her right. The dust and debris kicked up took a few seconds to clear, but out of the smoke came Mura, moving in front of her partner, shields out and ready.

"No, not if I have anything to say about it."


	42. Untaken

**Vale Dockyard, Vale**

A spear flew under Umbra's arm as he dodged out of the way, twisting through the air. His right staff already course corrected, slamming down on the overextended attacker, knocking him aside. Without wasting a second, that same staff was brought across his left side, catching the scimitar of his other opponent in the crevasse between his weapons. Grinning as the woman tried to withdraw her blade, he pushed the staffs together, catching the weapon in a vice grip. Leaning on his superior strength, Umbra twisted hard, spinning the unfortunate soldier, before releasing the blade and slamming both staffs down, smashing her into the pavement.

"Is this all you got?" he sneered "And here I thought you were part of an army!"

"Umbra, don't-" a strained voice called out, Leif still dueling his opponent further down the alley.

"Shut it Leif! I came expecting a real fight and this is all they give me?"

"You don't get it! They're holding ba-"

Umbra didn't hear the rest of Leif's warning as he felt his body shook in pain. It felt as though lightning Dust was being directly injected into his nerves. Struggling to glance back, he saw the guy he thought he had put down's spearhead split apart. The coils inside the shaft were lit up as electricity streamed directly at him. The pain was intense; Umbra was used to taking physical damage, but this was different, internal. But more than anything, he felt rage building. He had gotten cocky, instead of finishing the fight, he toyed with them and now HE was being made a fool of.

Suddenly the pain ceased, the lightning redirecting up as a metal pipe broke off from above them. The cause was gunfire; Leif saved him. Pushing aside that embarrassing realization, Umbra roared, pushing up backwards while manipulating shadows through his Semblance around the spear-wielder. Twisting around in midair, he brought down both staffs through the shadows on the spot his foe was-only to hit the pavement, not flesh. Growling, he dispersed the shadows only to see the woman now join his target out of arm's reach, both looking sufficiently annoyed.

"We tried going easy on you because you're just a kid but if you won't surrender-"

"Don't you dare underestimate me!" Umbra thundered, twirling his staffs about before channeling his Aura right as he struck them across one another. Fire strike after fire strike streaked down the alley, but the Skugga didn't wait for them to land, charging after them. He pulled the surrounding shadows to form a patchwork field around all three of them; obscuring vision in some places while isolating others. If they didn't feel he deserved their full strength, fine.

But they'd get his.

* * *

Leif's blade again met steel as his opponent's sword continued to be expertly wielded. Dodging back to give him some space, he noticed the man didn't immediately pursue, further confirming his theory. The only thing saving him right now was his hunch that these guys were holding back; nobody here was technically a bad guy, just different people with different goals, and so there was no reason to go all out. However, the longer this fight dragged on, the more likely they would just end it quicker once the boys were tired. And since Umbra seemed to provoke his foes into using their full strength, if Leif went down, his partner would be in a three on one fight. Not good, no matter what the teen would claim.

That said, barring some incredibly powerful Semblance, the only real threat Leif had seen was the lightning spear guy. That thing could easily incapacitate them both, freeing them to look for the girls. He had to be eliminated, but how?

' _Think Leif, think!_ ' Plans didn't come easy in the heat of battle especially when the moment he took to ponder was brought to end by the need to parry. More clangs and clashes filled his ears as the enemy pressed his attacked, his sword larger and heavier than his own. Quickly, Leif found his back to the wall, barely holding the larger blade back. Time, he needed time!

"So this is what Atlas specialists do in the spare time? Kidnap girls from home just because someone asked?" Leif strained out.

"No, we follow our orders." The man growled at the accusation, pressing harder.

"Oh so this is what your job actually is then. Kinda creepy," Leif laughed despite his situation. He felt the pressure increase, the man's emotions taking control. Perfect. Clicking the switch in the hilt, he rolled left, letting the shaft snap out as his attacker lurched forward. Unbalanced, the specialist slammed into the wall hard. Not waiting for him to recover, LUMO's leader used his spare hand to slam against the back of the man's skull, following it up with a sharp knee to the back. All those beatings from Umbra during their training seemed to have had some kind of benefit after all.

Knowing he had a few seconds now, he yanked his sword free and assessed the situation. The distant crash he heard earlier was most likely Mura's weapon locker, meaning his plan was still working in theory. But Umbra and him getting bogged down here wasn't ideal, especially with it being three on two. Given what little he knew about their foes though, there was only one plan that came to mind.

"Stupid stupid stupid," he muttered to himself as he charged straight at Umbra's fight, right at the center of a mass of swirling shadows, electricity, and fire.

* * *

Snarling, Umbra propelled himself around the woman, keeping her firmly between the lightning spear and himself. A loud swear confirmed success to his minor amusement as he began his barrage of blows, forcing her to stay on the defensive. Between his aggressive fighting and the whirling shadows surrounding them all, killing all manner of depth perception and orientation, he found himself less and less under attack. Just have to stay out of the line of fire from that damn lightning.

An opening appeared for a slight second as the soldier tried to counterattack, exposing her center. Driving his staffs home, she gasped in pain tumbling across the ground.

"Never should have underestimate—" Umbra's taunt fell flat as he realized she was smiling, despite the pain. Time slowed as he turned to see her partner's spear aimed right at him, her no longer in the way to stop him. A fire strike would be too slow and shadows would fade away in the light given off by the attack. Why couldn't he beat this guy, even with all his strength? Letting out a fierce roar, Umbra charged at him, hoping by some miracle he could get to him first— only to hear a different shout come out of nowhere as Leif slammed into the guy. Glass shattered as their momentum took them both through warehouse window, out of sight.

More shocked than anything, Umbra felt his Aura drain as gunfire struck him to his right. Grimacing, he quickly brought his staffs around, sending a band of fire down the alley at the foe Leif had left behind. Already getting to her feet as well was the soldier he had sent sprawling moments earlier. While annoyed that Leif had again saved him, Umbra couldn't waste time with such feelings. The fight was still on.

* * *

"I'm not leaving you!"

"Luna, I can only hold him off for a little bit, I need you to go get the boys, now!" Mura argued, watching her uncle carefully. He had yet to make a move, his hands hovering above his belt, watching her just as carefully.

"But-"

"No buts, please Luna, trust me," she pleaded. Her partner stared hard at her for several seconds before nodding silently, then ran off the way they came. Despite being left to face her toughest opponent yet, Mura felt oddly calm. This was her decision, her choice. Her fight for her freedom.

She would give it her all.

"Well then, lets see what's stronger, my father's legacy or your brother's," Mura called out, watching Gris push his hands through the straps on blocks hanging from his belt. Readying himself into a fighting stance, he gave his hands a good shake, triggering both equipment. Mura watched as they expanded outwards into the shape of shields, much like hers with one defining difference: a blade extending out the top of each. She had only seen her uncle's weapon once before, but never in action. She took solace in the fact that Uncle Gris had never seen her fight before either.

For almost a minute, neither moved, watching carefully for any openings.

Then blurs of motion followed by twin explosions; Mura's patience had run out.

Despite the speed and strength of the blasts from  _Dawn_  and  _Dusk,_ Uncle Gris easily evaded both blows, strafing right as his arms raised up directly in front of him.  _Dusk_  barely was raised in time to intercept the speeding bullets from the barrels located either side of the blades. The impact was still heavy on her arms, her feet sliding back. Moments later, the barrage stopped, only for Mura to have to use both shields in succession to block strike after strike as her uncle closed the distance and attacked. More and more she was pushed back, her Aura beginning to drain as blows started to slip through her defenses. He was faster, stronger, and more experienced.

A bad matchup for anyone.

But not one she could afford to lose, not now, not after everything every teammate had done for her.

Aiming  _Dusk_  at her feet, she fired off a shot, sending herself tumbling away as her uncle was forced to dodge the attack. Not the wisest course of action but a needed one. Triggering the cover back over the barrels, she reached behind her back to recharge-only to realize there was nothing there. She didn't have her Dust vials.

"Well shit," she swore aloud. This meant the only recharging was going to come from her uncle's ranged attacks. There was no way he could know about the way her shields worked, that was something her dad had come up with alone. But if he caught on…then this fight was already over. Regardless, Mura didn't need to win, but just had to buy time for LUMO to arrive.

"Do you want to give up now?" Uncle Gris called out, eyeing her carefully.

"Not a chance!" Mura yelled back, channeling her Semblance to the surrounding debris. As various chipped stones and pavement rose, she hammered them forward with her shields, creating makeshift projectiles. True to her hope, Gris didn't even attempt to dodge, instead firing both shields right at her, ripping her improvised attack to shreds. Again, blocking with  _Dusk_ , she felt the Dust from the rounds channeling into the shield. Now with a good way to recharge, she aimed  _Dawn_ behind her, firing two shots to propel herself forward through the gunfire. Despite the intensity of the firepower, her momentum overcame it, forcing her uncle to ceasefire and block the oncoming charge.

Not one to remain predictable however, she waited until the last possible second then pitched forward, aiming  _Dusk_ straight down. With a single shot, her body was propelled upwards, still rapidly moving forward. Continuing to follow through on this spin, she poured her strength into her strike, slamming both shields downwards. With no time react, her uncle was forced to absorb the sudden blow from above. A small growl reached her ears, a smile breaking on her face.

Time to go on the attack.

Mura fired a shot with  _Dawn_ at point blank, giving her a bit of lift while forcing her uncle to absorb another powerful blow. Flipping through the air, Mura landed on her feet and spun around, swinging the sharpened edge of  _Dusk_ towards her opponent's midriff. Another clang again showed that Gris was no student, but a trained specialist of Atlas; he already recovered. Murasaki was ready for him this time though, catching his follow up strike easily, launching her own immediately. That blow too was countered, beginning a series of parries and strikes between uncle and niece.

Attack for attack, shield for shield, she began to fight for her freedom with all her heart.


	43. Determination

**Vale Dockyards, Vale**

Out of all the skills taught at Beacon, strategizing was one of the few Leif found he caught onto quickly. It wasn't much different then predicting how a wave would react when surfing and planning how he would ride it. The only difference was a wave couldn't think for itself, merely follow the tide. A person was much more…

' _…_ _difficult.'_  Leif mulled over, trying to control his breathing. Yet as spear met sword, his arms arched with pain, straining to continue the fight. Leif barely able to defend against his foe, who looked like he was taking this about as seriously as Cardin did schoolwork. His original plan was to hope Umbra could somehow take down the other two then they could take this guy together, but it seemed like even the self-proclaimed strongest first year was struggling. Now Leif couldn't even keep track of him, having forced the spearman into the vacant warehouse.

"You aren't bad kid, not at all," his opponent commented, parrying Leif's low cut. "But it's gonna take more than that to beat me!" Before Leif could react, the butt of the spear drove his blade upward, leaving his center exposed. The breath left his lungs quickly as a solid punch was delivered to his chest, sending him tumbling across the cold floor. Pain shot through his body as he rolled and for the briefest second, he felt his Aura begin to crack. He couldn't afford to take any more hits.

"Just give up!" the man called out, "You gave it your best shot, but you're just students up against trained professionals!"

' _You don't have to tell me_ _that,'_ Leif grimaced, purposely rising slowly. Unlike with Umbra, it seemed this guy was taking it easy on him, which meant acting more injured than he was could buy him a little extra time. His eyes darted around, trying to see if there was anything at all to take advantage of in this dark building. Some discarded boxes and furniture were strewn about, but nothing useful. The building itself still seemed up to date, just not in use for the moment. And an up-to-date building meant…

Suddenly the gears began to turn.

"You heard my partner right? I wouldn't underestimate us if I were you," Leif called out, trying to steady his voice. The man just shook his head with a sigh.

"Kid, I admire your tenacity, but it's over. Keep fighting and I'll have to knock you out till the mission is over." With that, his spear head split open again, aimed directly at Leif's chest. One shot, and it would all be over. Oddly enough, calm was all Leif felt.

One shot.

"I guess you'll just have to knock me out then."

"So be it." Lightning began to launch out from the spear, but Leif already made his first move, his sword flying through the air. While there was no way in hell it would reach the soldier, it didn't need to.

It just needed to reach the lightning.

As the electricity honed in on the improvised lightning rod, Leif flung himself backwards towards the wall, arm stretched out and reaching. It would only take seconds for the spear to cease fire then refire once his sword clattered to the ground.

One second.

Two seconds.

On the third second his right hand found a handle. It took only an instant longer to pull it.

The warehouse was suddenly filled with the sound of three things; a loud ringing, water spraying, and a single scream. Leif, bracing himself for the shock with his eyes scrunched tight, stood there waiting for a follow up strike. Half a minute went by before he realized the only sounds were the fire alarm and the water splashing down him. Upon opening his eyes, he saw a crumpled body across the room, unmoving. Carefully approaching the man, making sure to scoop up his sword along the way, Leif soon realized he had nothing to fear. The soldier was out cold, knocked out by his electricity meeting water. His spear laid beside him, the electric coils dormant without Aura and lightning Dust to power it. In theory, this guy was down for the count.

"You should have listened to Umbra," Leif found himself chuckling aloud, though wincing as his hand shot to his bruised ribs. Through the alarm and sprinklers, the sound of fighting again reached his ears. His partner was still fighting.

That meant he wasn't done either.

* * *

The scimitar missed him by inches as he leaned back, letting the blade pass overhead. Without wasting the backwards momentum, Umbra snapped his legs up, delivering a solid kick to the woman. His staffs twirled towards the sound of gunfire as he landed, blocking the oncoming shots. Snarling, he launched a streak of fire the moment the hail of bullets ceased while manipulating the shadows the fiery light created. As the flames drew closer, the shadows pulled pulled together around his foe's feet, trapping him. A certain pleasure filled the teen as horror filled the soldier's face, the attack hitting dead on.

Turning his attention back to the woman behind him, he saw she was just now getting to her feet. Despite her Aura still seeming intact, she looked warier than she had been minutes ago. Good, she was taking him seriously now.

Let's keep it that way.

Pushing off on his right foot, he slammed his staffs together, bringing down the united weapon across her center. As expected, the soldier moved to guard her front, meeting Umbra's strike dead on. She had already made a critical mistake however; she let him get between her and the moonlight. Before her arm could get in position, the shadows his body created moved, restraining her. Too slow.

A solid crack to the skull sent the weakling crashing to the ground, Aura flashing red. Time to finish—Again he felt bullets pepper his back. Though his Aura held strong, his annoyance grew, only outpaced by his excitement. These were annoying people to put down, but he finally was fighting foes worthy of his talent. Instead of blocking the remaining shots, he let his Aura take the blows as slowly walked towards the remaining soldier. Despite taking a stream of fire to the face and watching his comrade savagely beat down, the man seemed to keep cool, reloading quickly and taking aim. This time Umbra did twirl his staff, breaking into a sprint as he blocked the shots. Before the guy could reload, Umbra was upon him.

Quickly forcing him on the defensive, Umbra delivered strike after strike, not giving the man any time to set up or transform his rifle. Soon, the warrior saw his opening, striking his staff against his foe's sword while splitting it in half. Catching the man off-balance, Umbra slammed one staff against his throat while continuing to pressure his sword arm. Despite his foe's strength, Umbra won out, sending the sword out of hand and out of reach. Propelling his foe to the side, followed up the blow by catching his throat between both staffs, smashing him right into a window, shattering half of it.

A bright red flash of Aura showed the man was at his limits.

Umbra smiled and pressed down harder, squeezing the man's throat between his staffs and the window sill. This was it, his first kill. After he was dead, his weakling partner would be next, the first of many kills of all those deemed unworthy. Finally, after all these years, he would truly become a warrior of the Skugga Tribe. The man spattered and coughed, trying to keep air flowing through his lungs, but Umbra merely laughed.

"I told you all not to underestimate me and now look at you. Pathetic and weak, and soon to be dead."

"Please…don't…" A soft voice called out from the distance. Stealing a glance left, he saw the woman he'd dispatched struggling to rise, but failing. Her eyes were filled with fear and worry.

Pitiful.

"You have only yourself to blame for this you know," he called out, pressing down harder. "If you had just been stronger, you might have won." His eyes narrowed as he delivered a swift knee to the man's stomach, causing more hacking as what precious little air he had left flew out.

"But you weren't. So now you'll both die—"

"UMBRA STOP!" A voice roared further down the alley. From a broken window came Leif to Umbra's immense annoyance. No, not now, not this time. This was his triumph his victory. Not even bothering to reply, Umbra simply pressed down harder, taking great pleasure in watching the worthless soldier squirm.

"UMBRA, DON'T KILL HIM!" Leif shouted, starting to sprint towards him.

"Why not? They are our enemies right? They tried to fight us and now they're paying the price!"

"They aren't bad guys though, they're just following orders!" Leif angrily argued. "What the hell is wrong with—" The sentence didn't finish as Umbra delivered a swift kick to Leif's gut as he came in range.

"I'm finishing this fight properly. Stay out of my way unless you want me to remember just how weak you really are," Umbra snarled.

"I'm not, not, going to let you kill them," Leif panted, trying to steady himself. The fact that the soldier that Leif had pulled away was nowhere to be seen meant the Vale boy must have somehow beaten him, but it seemed he almost killed himself doing it. It would be such a simple matter for Umbra to kill him along with the others, call it an accident. But unfortunately that would just draw suspicion.

These two would have to suffice. Umbra began pressing down hard on his captive's throat, knowing it would only be seconds more until—

"Umbra, no!" A female voice shrieked.

There stood a wolf Faunus at the end of the alley, looking as horrified as the man he was killing.

* * *

The sight before her was not at all what she expected. At best, Luna was hoping for Leif and Umbra to be still standing with maybe at least one soldier down. Instead, as she rounded the corner, she saw a battered soldier whose Aura pulsed weakly, Leif struggling to stand while shouting at Umbra, who, to her horror, was pressing down on another soldier's neck. His goal was etched across his face; he was actually trying to kill him.

"Umbra stop!" She found herself shouting, trying to make her soft voice heard. If he heard her, he showed no indication of it, continuing to strangle the life out of the man. While Umbra had always been ruthless, she never expected he would actually try to…or at least, she never tried to think about him doing so. Running forward, she watched as Leif managed to get to his feet and throw himself at his partner, only to be kicked away again. An arrow would do no good here, she just had to try and help Leif pull him off the guy.

"Please Umbra, don't kill him!" she yelled again, throwing her bow aside as she drew closer. Leif again grabbed hold of Umbra, struggling to maintain his grip as he was kicked. The struggle was buying the man time but dark skinned boy would win out soon enough. With no better plan, Luna threw herself on his right arm, trying to pull it backwards. Unfortunately, the weight and strength difference was vast.

"Please don't," she heard herself say, her voice filled with pleading. Umbra seemed beyond words at this point, attempting to shake off both his teammates. Shadows began to twist and turn around him, seizing the man as Umbra shifted his grasp on his staffs, pulling Luna along. Now holding the intersection with his right hand to maintain pressure, he punched Leif hard across the face, sending the boy flying. With a smirk, he reached over to grab her as well, the shadows around them practically moving to envelop her. Luna tried to move and to bat away his arm, feeling her Aura drain-only to realize she hadn't actually been hit. Bewildered, she tried to think of the cause only to see the half broken window beside her.

Staring back was not only her reflection, but Umbra's as well.

Her Semblance was activating.

But this time, her own face matched her expression. Umbra's however was a terrifying visage of intensity. Yet what made her mind go stiff was the dark shadow that enveloped half his reflection, a horrifying dark emptiness that seemed to be consuming him.

This was Umbra's true reflection; the same darkness she saw weeks ago when he had run into her that evening.

She could barely breathe, barely move as her eyes remained fixated on the reflection her Semblance produced. Only after several more moments went by before she realized Umbra had frozen as well. Slowly breaking off her view, she managed to turn her head enough to glance at her teammate. She was rendered speechless at the sight.

Umbra's eyes were locked on the reflection, his face draining of color, as though as he could actually see it.

But no one could ever see what she saw before, so that was impossible…right?

* * *

' _What is-I-'_ His thoughts were beyond coherent at the sight that filled his gaze. Horrified, his body felt numb, unable to move as this pitch black darkness devoured half his reflection. All the adrenaline drained from his system, shadows falling away. He couldn't look away, his eyes locked in what he could only guess was fear.

Was this really him?

A glimmer somehow caught the corner of his eye. It took all his will power just to turn his head only to see the wolf girl staring back. Orange eyes met yellow, yet the colors seemed to be the only difference as the emotions in her eyes seemed to match his. Did he really look like this right now? Had he lost control of his Semblance? Or did Luna too see the reflection in the window? Just beyond her head, he saw the glimmer again, emitting from the top of her neck, seen barely in the window beside his own. A crescent shape, with tiny dots breaking off glowed dimly. Was she causing— Black consumed his vision suddenly as pain shot through his jaw followed by his body slamming into the ground.

But the horrifying reflection remained fixed in his mind.

* * *

Catching herself as they fell, Luna saw an exhausted Leif, fist outstretched. He had finally managed to dislodge his partner while he was distracted.

The man collapsed, coughing hard, trying to regain his breath as his comrade tried to rush over to him, hampered by her own injuries. Leif moved to his own teammates, watching Umbra carefully who had yet to move from his fallen position.

"You okay?" he asked Luna, who just nodded. She still couldn't speak, not after what she saw.

"Where's Mura?" he followed up with, still not taking his eyes off Umbra.

"She's…she's back in the courtyard, fighting her uncle. She told me to come get you guys…"

"That fool… she just doesn't want you getting hurt because of her," Leif groaned. "Come on, we're not letting her go." He leaned down to pull Umbra up, who remained unresponsive. His eyes seemed to be strained opened, his expression devastated.

"Help me carry him, crazy fighting obsessed bastard," Leif swore, either not noticing his partner's expression or not caring. Luna hesitated then grabbed her bow before taking one of Umbra's arms over her shoulder. Leif grabbed Umbra's staffs and then together, the two began heading towards their remaining teammate. Slowly they passed by the woman, who managed to reach her fallen comrade. Neither made a move towards them, the two groups merely eyeing each other carefully. Luna glanced down at their paralyzed comrade only to be startled as orange eyes darted away from hers, forcing her to look away as well, trying to put the earlier sight out of mind.

The sound of explosions filled the distant air as they moved down the alleyway.

One final fight.


	44. What You Want

**Vale Dockyards, Vale**

The ground hurt more each time she hit it, but each time she managed to find the strength to back get to her feet. Her Aura was barely holding on, but Mura knew she couldn't give up. Either her uncle would be taking her home knocked out or not at all. Needing to recharge her shots, she again raised debris with her Semblance, feeling her whole being ache as her Aura was stretched thin, and slammed the pieces at her uncle. She then braced for the gunfire.

Only the gunfire never came, just the sound of smashing debris against metal.

Fearful, she looked past her shields to see her uncle looking as healthy as he did at the start of the fight. In fact, he looked more bored than anything else.

"What, you expected me to just give you free ammo again?" He called out. "Come now, you really didn't think I'd figure it out?" Mura didn't respond, trying to avoid wasting any more energy then she had to. Without ammo, she could still fight, but it would be much more difficult to maneuver and create openings, especially since she was already struggling heavily. It didn't matter though; she couldn't give up. Time; she needed time.

"I suppose you both found me because of that TV broadcast?" Mura asked, stalling in the only way she knew how. To her dismay, Uncle Gris just laughed.

"Not at all." he answered "We actually were already in Vale by the time that riot occurred, well aware of where you were."

"But if it wasn't that then…"

"The answer is in your hands."

Mura looked at her shields, horrified. Was there some sort of tracker that Dad installed that she wasn't aware of? How did she never notice it?

"There's no tracker if that's what you're looking for," Gris continued, as if reading her mind. "It was the frames. You ordered replacements a few weeks back. And low and behold, the custom order for them came right to a certain smithy in Atlas." If it wasn't for her weakened condition, Mura would have smacked herself. Of course it was the frames. In hindsight it was so obvious. The sharpened edges weren't like bullet cartridges or arrows, they had to be custom forged to fit her specific shields. She didn't give much thought to it when the Beacon Quartermaster said they would handle it, but she should have realized they would have asked around various blacksmiths until they found the exact one her and her father used in Atlas to fill the order.

All that panic over that news broadcast for nothing. They learned long before that where she had gone.

But it didn't matter, not anymore.

Readying her shields, she prepared to charge once again.

"Give up." her uncle flatly commanded. "Can't you see you're just prolonging the inevitable? Can't you see how much this is distressing your mother?" Throughout their duel, her mother had remained on the sidelines, cringing at every blow, but remaining silent. Obviously consoling herself that all this was necessary to protect her precious daughter.

"I will never give up."

"Then I'll make you!" Suddenly he was in her face, his Semblance allowing him to instantly accelerate to a certain speed from an unmoving position. Before she could react, his twin shields slammed into her sides, the blow shaking her to her core. Trying to strike back, her energy was failing, allowing him to easily block her clumsy attacks. Her body continued to be punished, her uncle unrelenting just as he was trained to be. Finally, she felt the ground once more as she was sent flying. Her Aura flashed red in the corner of her eyes as she struggled to rise.

"Mura, please, just stop," her mother weakly called out, moving forward finally. "Just come home now."

"I won't leave my friends, my real home."

"They clearly left you, they are nowhere to be seen now!"

"Because your team attacked them!"

"And almost won." She heard Leif snort behind her. Despite the pain, she whipped her head around to see in amazement her teammates slowly moving into the courtyard. To her shock, Umbra seemed completely out of it, being carried by Luna and Leif, though Leif looked far worse for wear. Glancing back at her uncle, she watched his steel eyes narrow as he moved one hand to his earpiece, mouth moving quietly.

"It seems my team underestimated you both," he finally said through pursed lips.

"Well no shit." Leif retorted through gritted teeth "So you can just leave now okay? Bye bye."

"I'm not leaving without my niece," Gris flat out replied, readying his shields once more. "And make no mistake, I won't be nearly as soft on you as my team was." Leif had no comeback for that one. Mura was flooded with dread. Her uncle could rip LUMO to shreds in their prime, so in their current state? None of them would stand a chance. She quickly rose to her feet, trying to ignore the pain.

"No guys, this is my fight," she called out.

"But Mura-" Her partner began to beg but Mura cut her off.

"Luna please," she pleaded, "I don't want any of you hurt on my behalf, not anymore."

"What are you trying to prove?" Her uncle suddenly cut in. "That you know better than your mother or myself? Or trying to prove something about my brother?"

"I…I…" Mura struggled to answer.

"Dear, please stop this, just come home, where it's safe, and we can be happy."

"Where you can be happy, not me. I'm happy here."

"You're just saying that sweetie, just wait til we-"

"With all do respect ma'am, you don't know what the hell you're talking about."

* * *

Silence fell across the courtyard at Leif's words. Both adults looked shocked more than anyone.

"Excuse me?" her mom finally spoke. "Are you telling me you know my own daughter better than I do?"

"Considering I've lived with her this whole semester, yeah, I'd say I know the current her a heck of a lot better than you do. And something tells me you haven't known the real Murasaki for quite sometime," Leif continued. This whole conversation was pissing him off more than he thought was possible. This was her mother, her family? And they thought they should be treating her like this?

"You say you're her mother, but I haven't once heard you ask her what she wanted. Instead it's all about you!" he angrily exclaimed. "How about asking what makes her happy?"  
"I know what makes my-"

"ASK HER!" Leif shouted, making the woman jump. "You have no idea how she feels right now, how she's been this semester!" If only there was a way to show her how Mura felt, everything they went through these past months. Aura began to drain rapidly at his thoughts, him quickly realizing his Semblance was activating.

' _Not now, why on Remnant now?_ ' he moaned, feeling a memory overtake him.

* _Dad is gone, really really gone_ _.*_ He found himself staring at a grave marker, snow gently drifting down around him. This made no sense, it wasn't any memory he had ever seen before. A small hand reached up and felt moist against tears. A small female hand, that brushed aside purple locks of hair.

* _Please come back Dad_ _.*_ That thought suddenly made him realize that it was not his internal voice he was hearing, but a female's.

It was Mura's.

* * *

' _What is_ _this,_ ' Mura thought, struggling to make sense of what she was seeing. Her own thoughts from the past were playing out in her head thought it was just happening now. Cold loss drifted through her as she saw her father's gravesite. Stark sadness and mourning rapidly turned to anger and frustration as she now watched her mother force her to come home early from hanging out with friends.

* _"Dad would let me play after school!" "I'm not Dad!"*_ She heard her own young voice as she stared up in sadness at her mother's tearful face. From there it cut to a snowy day in her room, watching the newest snowfall alone from her room.

*' _Why did you have to leave us?'*_ Holding a picture on her dresser from her eighth birthday, both her parents smiling as she sat on her dad's shoulders, holding her mom's hand. All the negative emotions from back home since her dad died piling up as she forcibly relived the memories.

*" _MURASAKI!"_ * Suddenly she was staring up the stairs, her mother's terrified look as Mura stood half way out the door. Her skin felt as cold as the air that night, her heart wrenching as she made her decision. A new fear flooded her, the same fear of the unknown she felt that night.

Suddenly a rush of excitement electrified her nerves as her eyes found yellow ones.

*" _Luna Okirikiri. It's nice to meet you Murasaki" 'Ooo will have to fix that, friendly enough though' "Just call me Mura, it's easier trust me"*_ The day of Initiation. The day she met Luna. Memories of the Emerald Forest filled her, becoming partners with Luna, teasing Umbra, escaping death with Leif. The day they were named LUMO.

*" _My favorite food is ramen_ _._ "* Gone were the cold feelings of the past, replaced by this warmth of acceptance filling her. Luna Okirikiri walking next to her after they made up, bonding after their initial fight. The first day she truly felt like she belonged at Beacon.

Suddenly she was laughing with Yang, playing video games with her in the common room as their friends watched, Nora taking bets on the winner while Weiss berated her. Studying with Pyrrha and Opal in the library. Enjoying lunch with Leif and Luna just the other day. The warm emotions of happiness and excitement flowing through her, a sense of belonging.

*' _I am_ _free.'_ _*_  She found herself staring at Leif in an empty classroom, the moment she realized that here she was free to do whatever she pleased. With that freedom she chose to stay.

With that freedom, she chose to call this place home.

"Leif…Leif!" Suddenly, she was back in the courtyard hearing Luna call out in a panic. Looking back over her shoulder, she saw her leader collapsed on the ground, Aura flashing shimmering visibly. Did he do that? Was that his Semblance? Leif's head slowly craned up, looking past Mura. Following his gaze, she saw her mother on her knees, tears in her eyes with a hand across her mouth.

Did she just see her memories too?

"You don't know what Mura's feeling, yet you're trying to drag her back for your own selfish reasons?" A weak voice called out. Leif was still kicking somehow.

"No…I…"

"You don't even know her anymore."

"That's not… Mura, I…"

"That's enough!" A curt voice shouted. Uncle Gris.

"I have no idea what the hell you just did boy, but I'm ending this." He began walking towards LUMO, determination ripe across his face.

"Wait, Gris." her mother called out, but he clearly was beyond caring.

"No more waiting," Gris denied her. "You begged me to bring her home, as one last favor to my brother and that's what I'm doing."

"But…" They began to argue in earnest as Mura struggled to her feet. That's when she noticed the faint trail of Dust in the air moving towards her shields. Look for the source, she saw Luna, face locked in concentration as she manipulated Dust from her vials into her partner's shields. Despite everything, she had yet to lose sight their situation.

"Thank you," Mura mouthed, noticing her shields were almost fully charged. She must have been doing that since they arrived.

"Enough Fia!" Gris shouted, turning away from the silenced woman. He focused solely on his niece, readying his shields once more. This time though, despite everything up to this moment, Mura felt more ready than ever.

"Regardless of any second thoughts your mother is having, I will make sure my brother's legacy is safe."

"Then I'll have to beat you with my father's legacy, the one we built together!"

With no words left, Mura felt her feet move, charging once more into battle.

One last shot.

With the same startling speed as before her uncle came rushing at her, his Semblance engaged. This time she was ready for it, waiting precisely before the moment he struck to enact her desperate plan. His shields followed the same path as before, closing in on her sides, yet her own shields remained motionless. Focusing whatever Aura she had left, she threw her Semblance on, forcing his arms upwards. In the same moment Uncle Gris's eyes went wide with shock, she quickly aimed  _Dawn_  upwards his exposed center while aiming  _Dusk_ down at her feet.

All or nothing.

* * *

The shockwave of the explosion rippled through Luna's hair as an explosion of Dust enveloped the dueling relatives. Straining her eyes to try and see through the haze, a blur popped out of the top followed by another shot. No eruption of ground debris this time, the fight continuing in plain sight above them all. Luna watched with bated breath as Mura continued to spin, firing shot after shot to continue rise upwards. With each rotation, another solid hit was stuck, sending the shell shocked specialist higher and higher.

"Now's her chance to finish it," she heard Leif laugh exhaustingly. It took her a moment to realize he wasn't referring to the fight. This was the same move she had tried during the juggling competition. But this time, far more was on the line than some silly extra credit.

"How did you get so strong…?" The Faunus's sensitive ears barely detected the murmur from across the way. Stealing a second's glance, she saw Mura's mother staring up in disbelief…no, not disbelief, but in astonishment.

"Because she found a home worth fighting for," Luna called out without thinking, but continued on despite herself. "And that home will be behind her every step of the way!"

"So win already Mura, so we can finally go home, together!" Leif roared, wincing as he tried to ignore his injuries. All eyes were on the flying first year; even Umbra held his head high to watch as Murasaki give her final effort.

* * *

_Dawn._

_Dusk._

_Dawn._

_Dusk._

Every hit she threw her body ached. With every spin, she wanted to collapse. But her comrades' uplifting words from below continued to drive her higher. As she went down to her final shot in each shield, Mura felt her Aura being stretched to its thinnest, her uncle's arms beginning to forcefully move against her Semblance pushing them away.

' _Your uncle and I, we both use shields because we want to protect those we_ _love.'_ Her father's words echoed in her head, ones he said when they first began creating her very own shields.

In an instant, Mura pushed herself above her uncle, switching her Semblance to target herself. She caught glimpse of Uncle Gris's shocked expression as she rose above him, unable to retake control of the fight. Rotating in the air, she pushed  _Dusk_ against the man's back, aiming  _Dawn_ straight back.

' _One day, you'll find something you'll want to_ _protect.'_ Her dad's smiling face beamed at her.

' _Thank you_ _Dad.'_

Gripping the trigger, Mura fired both shields and sent both of them rapidly crashing to the ground.


	45. Resolve

**Vale Dockyards, Kingdom of Vale**

The ground shook beneath Leif's feet as he watched his teammate slam into the ground. For seconds, he saw no signs of movement through the smoke but then found his legs moving forward as a female body tumbled out towards them. Before she could ragdoll further, his body absorbed the impact, catching her as he slid to his knees. Luna was right there with him, tears in her eyes as she saw her partner's state. Only Umbra had not moved, something still not quite right with him since earlier, but that was beyond Leif's attention at the moment. Only the shuddering girl in his arms mattered right now.

But it wasn't until he saw those purple eyes crack open and Mura's weak smile that he finally exhaled.

"Now that was the ballsiest thing I've ever seen," he laughed.

"I'm sure you'll top it," Mura laughed back weakly.

"If you two keep this up, I'm not sure how much more my heart can handle-" Luna's words were cut off by Mura rising and throwing her arms around her. Tears turned to rain for both girls.

"I'm sorry," Mura cried, "I wanted so bad to tell you, but I just…I…"

"Shhhh… it's okay," Luna managed to say through her own tears. "What's important is that we now have the time for us to talk because you aren't going anywhere but back to Beacon-"

"Is that right?" Those three little words froze the trio's sounds to nothingness. Emerging from the impact site was a very annoyed looking Atlas Specialist. Unlike when they arrived at the courtyard, the signs of battle clearly showed, from scuffs on his clothes to bruises and scratches on the exposed parts of his body. Yet unlike his niece, there was no flickering Aura, no major signs of fatigue or injuries. Just cold determination.

"It didn't work," Mura whispered, dismayed.

"I'll admit Mura, that was quite the move," he continued, brushing debris off his clothes "Well timed and executed, just lacking the strength to really take me down." As he took a step towards him, Leif noticed the man's expression tensed for a second, shifting slightly on his leg. Did he take more damage then he was letting on? Maybe, but none of them were in any shape to keep fighting- he felt Mura being gently pushed back into him.

"Take another step towards her and you'll have me to deal with," Luna called out, rising with an arrow nocked in one motion. Luna. She hadn't fought at all, being sent off by Mura before she and her uncle fought, but arriving too late to help him and Umbra. But did she stand a chance? She didn't need to win, only buy time, and she knew that from their planning session before. So maybe, just maybe...

Then he felt someone back into him. Craning his head around, he saw Umbra's tall back to him, staff out. Peering around his legs, his heart sank as the three Atlas soldiers entered the courtyard from beyond them, weapons drawn. While it was clear all three still were recovering from battle, any sense of underestimating LUMO was long gone. This was bad. Leif's brain raced, trying to find anyway out of this, anyway to win.

But nothing came. It was over.

"And with that, checkmate. It's time to go home Mura."

"Then come and take her," Luna growled, drawing her bow and leveling it at the soldiers. The specialist settled into a fighting stance, the same he had taken before he activated his Semblance.

"So be-"

Three things happened at once. Suddenly landing between Luna and the man was a woman twirling a morning star mace, her expression one of excitement. A loud grunt of surprise came from Umbra as Leif realized another woman stood between the soldiers and his team, this one with her hands hovering over two holsters on her belt. The third was the sound of a cane tapping the ground. Emerging from a different alley stood their bemused looking headmaster, Ozpin himself.

* * *

"Well what do we have here?"

The white haired huntsman's question was asked aloud, though Mura had a feeling it was rhetorical. At the very least it seemed everyone here was treating it as such, unmoving. The soldiers seemed to be waiting for orders nervously, while Gris stared hard at the man.

"No answers? Well I'm sure General Ironwood will know," Ozpin lamented, lifting a scroll to his ear. Gris started forward but froze as the spiked ball swung in his path.

"It's rude to interrupt a phone call ya know," The woman shushed, holding one finger in front of her lips mockingly. Gris just glared, but didn't attempt to move again. Who were these two? They weren't teachers, at least not first year teachers anyways. Professional huntresses?

"Ah yes, James? Hope you're having a good evening," Ozpin greeted warmly. "Oh I just had a small question. Did you happen to send a specialist to my kingdom on a mission?" While Mura couldn't hear the answer, a glance at the Atlas personnel told plenty. Nervous looks between each other practically screamed that they were here unauthorized. Her body began to relax, if only a little. Both her teammates seemed to ease back now that it seemed like fighting was on hold. Only Umbra remained in a fighting stance, but his bravado remained strikingly lackluster compared to normal.

"Really now? Well he is right here, would you like to speak with him?" Ozpin continued, before looking right at the older man. "It's for you." With that, Ozpin tossed the scroll through the air, Gris catching it easily.

"General Ironwood, sir, I-no sir, I just-" A giggle escaped Mura's lips; watching her uncle squirm delighted her given the night's events. Several minutes went by as everyone quietly waited for the conversation to conclude. She began to feel the many aches and pains throughout her body, the adrenaline slipping away without any action to maintain its hold.

"Yes sir, right away," Gris flatly state, the conversation seemingly over. With that, he chucked the scroll back to Ozpin, who looked more amused than ever.

"Thank you James, looking forward to seeing you soon," he concluded before putting away the scroll. He turned his attention back to those in the courtyard.

"Well then, I believe that concludes this matter?"

"Yes sir." The specialist acknowledged, retaining a stone faced look. With a quick hand motion, his soldiers sheathed their weapons before moving around the outskirts of the courtyard to regroup. Her uncle gave her a hard long look before doing an about turn and began to leave.

"I'm sorry Fia." A whisper as passed her mother, motioning for her to leave as well. For a moment, it looked like she was beginning to turn as well but stopped.

"Mura…" She began, looking back over her shoulder, "I'm sorry I…I.." For a moment it looked like the broken hearted mother couldn't continue, her shoulders shuddering. After a few seconds, she turned to face her daughter once again.

"The next time we meet, I promise I'll know how to love you better, as a mother should."

Mura silently nodded, though emotions were clearly being bottled up tight.

"And… Dad would have been proud to know you found something to protect." With a sad smile, the woman turned and walked off into the night, leaving LUMO battered and beat, but somehow victorious.


	46. Introductions

**Vale Dockyards, Vale**

"Are you four okay?" Headmaster Ozpin asked softly as he approached the group. Luna looked around at her teammates and despite their silent nods, she could tell she was the only one is good shape. Leif and Mura were both covered in bruises and scrapes, and while Umbra largely looked fine physically, it didn't take an expert to see is he wasn't all there mentally. Had he really seen what she saw in the reflection? At that moment, he suddenly glanced at her, their eyes meeting. The half shadowy face flashed from before through her mind, sending shudders through her. Surprisingly enough, Umbra did as well.

"Excellent, that means you all will have no issue attending detention all next week," Ozpin chuckled. His statement was meant with dead stares. Detention? After all that?

"Wait wha—" Leif started but fell silent as the headmaster raised his hand.

"You left Beacon unauthorized on a school night, engaged in unauthorized combat with citizens of another kingdom, and you, Murasaki, called for your weapon locker without permission."

"But she was kidnap—"

"And instead of coming to a professor or myself, or even calling the authorities, you took matters into your own hands," Ozpin continued sharply. Leif looked crestfallen, unsure how to respond. This wasn't fair, how could they be punished them for rescuing Mura?

"In fact, the only reason I shouldn't expel you all is that you, is that Mr. Circinus was clever enough to inform and signal us with your location all while still managing to reach your teammate in time and stall until we arrived." Luna could have sworn she saw a brief smile on Ozpin's face at Leif's dumbfounded expression. Laughter filled the air though from the woman with the mace, though she was quieted down with a playful punch from her partner. Once again, dumb lucked saved them.

"I, umm… thanks Headmaster?" Leif finally stammered.

"Now then, I would have you all to return to school, but at this point, it's bit late. I trust you know of a place nearby your team can stay?"

"Umm no I—" Leif answered confused, though the answer Ozpin seemed to be expecting quickly dawn on him "Oh…yeah I know a place."

"Excellent" Ozpin concluded "In that case, I'll leave Miss Till and Miss Ver here to make sure you get there with no detours. I expect to see you all back in time for class in the morning." With that, their headmaster gave a simple wave and walked off into the night. Never a straightforward moment with that man.

"Right, so Oz didn't feel the need to tell us this location, so mind filling us in?" The mace woman asked. The chained ball part of the mace was retracted firmly into the handle and holstered the white speckled belt around her jeans. She couldn't have been much older than Luna's own father, though she clearly acted with an abundance of energy.

"Umm yeah my home isn't far from here, about a fifteen-minute walk." Leif answered, though Luna could tell he was completely drained at this point, between the fighting and almost getting expelled.

"Well let's get moving then. Name's Star Ver by the way, and she's my partner, Ce."

"Celestia Till," the other woman corrected, "and I can introduce myself just fine."

"Sure sure," Star laughed. "Well lead on… you?"

"Leif, Leif Circinus." Leif quickly introduced himself while getting to his feet. "This way." The group began walking through the back alleys of Vale once more, this time at a much calmer pace.

"So who are the rest of you?" Star asked, who at this point Luna noticed was quite the chatty individual.

"Murasaki Zenith," her partner introduced herself.

"Ah, the kidnapped runaway?" Star snickered, though Celestia just rolled her eyes.

"Something like that…"

"Hey, don't look so glum. If you don't enjoy the twists and turns of life, you'll become a bore like a certain someone I know," the older woman remarked, rolling her blue eyes towards her own partner.

"Says the one I had to bail out of jail her senior year before the professors realized she was fighting in underground fight clubs again." Celestia dressed far more feminine than her partner, a modest skirt with a small black jacket overtop a frilled shirt. On her belt looked to be twin pistols, though the holsters clearly had extending sheaths that gave the impression that they were more than simple firearms.

"See? Total bore. So what about you tall dark and silent?" Luna looked back nervously, only to see Umbra jerk his head away again. Was he staring at her again? The boy remained silent, forcing Leif to answer.

"That's Umbra Imaly, my partner though he often wishes he wasn't," The teenager sheepishly answered. While this still clearly embarrassed the first year, there seemed to be more acceptance in his tone, along with a bit of annoyance that Umbra was being stubborn over this.

"Partner trouble huh? I know that life," the huntress snorted.

"Yes, you are the annoying one aren't you."

"As if!"

Luna laughed at their superiors bickering. For professional huntresses, they acted surprisingly juvenile. Walking seemed to go by quickly, the night air cool as they ended up walking along the water.

"Up ahead," Leif pointed, at a modest house on the coast on the other side of the river "We're almost there."

"Then you all should be able to make it there just fine right?" yawned Star, stretching her arms.

"We're supposed to escort them to the door."

"Relax Ce, they aren't kids. They just took on a freakin' Atlas specialist and his squad, remember?"

"And lost."

"But didn't die! See, they got this!"

"Star…." groaned Celestia.

"What about you wolf girl? You think you all can make it right?" Luna was taken aback by Star's sudden question.

"Ye-yeah sure, I mean…"

"See? Wolf girl thinks they can make it just fine."

"Star!"

"Oh right, that's kinda rude. What's your name? I totally forgot to ask didn't I?" Star laughed awkwardly.

"Luna Okirikiri." She answered softly, trying to keep from laughing. What laughter escaped was loud, but she quickly realized that it was due just how quiet it got in that moment. Looking over, she saw piercing blue eyes staring directly at her's, Star's expression slack jawed. Had she said something wrong? Did her Semblance somehow activate again without her knowing?

A nudge from Celestia seemed to snap the woman back to reality.

"Lu-Luna, it's nice to meet you," Star stammered, swallowing loudly. Silence continued for another moment, both Mura and Leif looking awkwardly at both parties, while Umbra continued to look anywhere but her. Suddenly, Star clapped once.

"Well, time to be off then! Don't stay up to late now!" With that, she did an abrupt turn and sped off.

"Wait Star!" Celestia called, out looking nervously back and forth between her charges and her rapidly leaving partner.

"I think we can get there just fine ma'am."

"Oh I'm not worried about that, just…please don't tell Oz," the huntress pleaded before running off after her partner. LUMO just watched as they left, unsure what to make of the sight before continuing to the house by the water.

* * *

Nerves filled him with every step closer to his house. It wasn't quite dread, but certainly not excitement. This was it. His family was finally going to meet LUMO. Truth be told, after tonight's events, this should be the easiest thing he had to do, but his legs felt like lead and not just from the bruises. Frowning, he glanced down, looking at his tattered clothes. That was another thing they'd probably fret over.

A few steps latter he found himself staring at a plain wooden door, all the windows darkened but the kitchen light. Should he knock? Technically it was still his home, but it felt strange to just grab the spare key from under the potted plants and go in. He hesitated, looking back at his team, who were all staring at him expectedly.

' _Whelp, here goes_ _nothing.'_

He gave the door a solid knock. Seconds rolled by, making him wonder if the kitchen light was just left on and both his parents were already asle-the door swung open as an older male revealed himself. A very familiar face smiled back at him.

"Welcome home son," His dad chuckled. "You look like you've seen some rough surf."

"Well you know," Leif laughed despite himself. "Umm… mind if my team and I spend the night? We'll be going back to Beacon first thing in the morning."

"Of course!" his dad beamed, turning his attention to the rest of the first years. "Any friend of Leif's is a friend of mine, come on in!" So far so good, though the real conversation had yet to begin. Leif stepped across the threshold into his childhood home. The small house was kept immaculate thanks to his mother, but even then he found himself a bit embarrassed at it's size. The living room and kitchen were in the same room, with just a bit of walking space between the back of the couch and the kitchen table. The kitchen itself was modest in size, the living room not much larger, with both bedrooms and the bathroom doors surrounding the living room itself. One of those said door slowly creaked open, revealing a shorter woman in simple nightwear yawning.

"Dear what's going on-Leif!" His mom let out a small yelp, a smile breaking across her face.

"Surprise," The team leader weakly announced, returning the bright expression as best he could. He quickly found himself embraced as his mother closed the distance, his face mushed up against the very blue hair he inherited.

"Why are you here? And your clothes, they're such a mess! And-are those bruises?!"

"Long story mom."

"Well I want to hear all about it, come sit—"

"Umm dear, we have guests too." His dad chuckled, cutting off his wife's motherly rant. She peered around her son, shocked to see his teammates.

"Oh! You must be his…teammates right?" She questioned, still remaining cheerful.

"That's right ma'am," Luna replied respectfully, though she quickly found herself set upon by his mom.

"Ooo sweetie, her ears are just like that girl in your sixth grade class, you know—"

"Mom! Boundaries!" Leif yelled, growing red. Ever the social butterfly, her mother loved to meet new people though she could never quite realize when she was getting too personal.

"Oh right sorry dear. I suppose I should introduce myself. Mari Circinus, and this is my husband Brandeis."

"Call me Bran though, easier for everyone." the older man laughed.

"I'm Luna Okirikiri, it's a pleasure ma'am-"

"Mari," the woman quickly corrected before turning her attention to amused Atlesian girl. "And what must your name be?"

"Murasaki Zenith, just call me Mura though."

"Won't be an issue, I'm no stranger to shortened names after all!" All three women laughed at that as Leif and his dad rolled their eyes. His own amusement stopped dead as she came to Umbra, who looked down at her carefully.

"And you? What can I call you, other than giant of course?"

No response. Leif sighed, knowing it was too much to have hoped his partner wouldn't—

"Well come on, speak up! I can't exactly hear you from all the way down here!" His mom teased, stopping Leif's heart. This was a mistake, a huge mistake. Umbra began to roll his eyes in contempt-then stopped dead, his face completely tensing. Out of the corner of his eye, Leif caught Luna flinching, quickly looking away from his partner. What on Remnant-

"Umbra Imaly." The giant answered quietly, stunning the rest of LUMO. His parents paid no heed to their reaction, continuing to have the time of their life meeting their son's new friends.

"Umbra huh? I like it, good strong name," His dad mused "Your parents definitely picked a good one." Curiously enough, Umbra wore a blank expression at that comment, not his normal indifference, but actual surprise. This was a totally different version of his partner in his house with him, a complete 180 from earlier in the night. An involuntary shudder went down his spine as he recalled the look in Umbra's eyes, his murderous intent during the fight. Almost a whole semester had gone by, but tonight reminded Leif that he didn't know his partner any better now than before.

"Umm thanks—"

"Come over to the table Umbra, I'll get you something to drink," his dad continued, motioning the flustered teen.

"I'm fi—"

"Nonsense! You're a friend of Leif's, that makes our home your home."

"That goes for all three of you," the older woman said sweetly. "Come on girls, let's sit and talk. Leif, can you go get us all some water? I know it's been hot out."

"Yeah sure Mom," he answered, heading for the kitchen as the group dispersed throughout the house. As he grabbed a few glasses from the cupboard, he looked over his shoulder. The girls were talking cheerfully with his mother, looking tired but more peaceful than ever before. Umbra was even engaging in small talk with his dad, though it was really his dad doing most of the talking. Somehow though he was really holding Umbra's attention, leaving Leif at a loss for words.

All that worry for nothing. LUMO was actually acting a like a real team, a group of individuals who could maybe get along for years to come. Leif glanced over at the old hand drawn map of Remnant hanging on the wall above the kitchen table, hand drawn by his grandfather and found himself smiling.

' _A team I could see the world with one_ _day.'_


	47. Home

**Circinus Household, Vale**

"So Atlas huh? Must be so warm compared to back home!"

"Yeah-h definitely caught me off guard."

"Well you'll get used to it! Though you may want to wear sunscreen once the summer weather really hits. Don't want to turn into a ripe tomato, after all!" The sound of Mura's laughter surprised Luna. Not that she didn't expect a laugh, but just at how real it sounded. Despite all the events the evening, or hell, even of the past few months, Mura looked more comfortable than ever. Sitting here on the couch of her team leader's home, Luna beside her, Mura had the most genuine smile. No more secrets, no more looking over her shoulder. Just being herself.

"Well what about you Luna?" Mari asked, turning her playful interrogation towards the quiet Faunus, startling her "Where are you from?"

"Mistral actually, a small town called Yorugao," she answered to two confused looks "It's in the northwest part of Anima."

"Anima? Wow, I've always wanted to visit there someday, I hear the sights are just gorgeous."

"And also expensive to travel to!" they heard Bran call out from the kitchen. More laughter ensured. These two adults had known them all for less than an hour but treated them all like family. It was starting to make sense where Leif got his mannerisms from.

"Well I have to say, thank you both so much for taking care of Leif these past few months, I know he's not quite as experienced as you all must be, but I hope he hasn't been that much of a burden."

"Jeez mom, way to give your son some credit," Leif moaned, sitting on the back of the couch between both groups. Mura snorted into her water, though Luna tried not laugh at his mother's bluntness.

"No ma'— I mean Mari. Leif's a great teammate."

"Well I'm sure whoever the leader of your team is to thank for that. I don't know too much about all this huntsman and huntress stuff, but I know teams have leaders." Both girls gave each other confused looks. Did Leif never tell his parents?

"Err actually sir—" Luna began to correct her, but his father didn't seem to hear her quiet voice.

"Is it one of you girls? Luna, Mura?" Mura just began laughing more at the situation, Leif's face turning redder and redder. Her laughter was contagious, making it hard for Luna to speak up.

"Nope not us," her partner finally snorted out. Both parents frowned then glanced at the stoic teenager at the kitchen table.

"Ah so it must be you Umbra!" Bran concluded "Makes sense, you seem like a strong capable lad!"

"Your parents must be so proud of you!" Mari smiled warmly. Umbra stared right as his feet, refusing to meet either adult's eyes. Their actual leader at this point looked like combusting fire Dust. Time to clear this up.

"Actually sir, it's Leif," the Faunus called out over the din. Both parents stared at her, then their son, flabbergasted, the only noise in the house was Mura's cackling.

"Leif?"

"Leif."

"Our son?"

"Yes me damn it! Stop acting so surprised!" Leif finally spat out, his face melting with embarrassment. Both parents were a blur of motion as they closed around him.

"Oh my Oum, I'm so proud of you sweetie!"

"Why on Remnant didn't you tell us?"

"Because you'd react like this, get off!" Leif struggled to answer, suffocating in his parents' embrace. Luna finally joined in with Mura, laughing at the sight, though a reaffirming glance between them confirmed they knew the real reason for Leif withholding the information. Up until tonight, there was nothing proud for him to write home about. Between Mura's rebellious streak and Umbra's outright disdain for them all, it would have been pretty embarrassing for him to admit he was LUMO's leader.

But as she looked at her partner's smiling face, Luna knew that tonight was something Leif could truly be proud of.

* * *

What was this feeling? Disgust? Anger? Frustration? Umbra couldn't place it and it pissed him off to no end. Somehow his partner's father had managed to keep him in a conversation for nearly half an hour, something the boy hadn't actually realized until Luna revealed to them that their son was LUMO's leader. For that matter, why didn't they know? They seemed more than interested in his life, so why hide such a crucial detail? And why did this even intrigue him so much?

Glancing down, he found his right hand balled up tight, ready to smash something. What was wrong with him? He needed to get out of here, step outside, try to recompose himself. Standing up, he headed for the door - only to be stopped by Bran.

"Where ya going there son?"

"I need to step out—"

"Step out? How come—"

"Dad, come on, leave him alone. He's already endured your torture for the night."

"Torture? Come now, I was just asking him some questions!" Leif just jerked his head towards the door, telling him to go quickly. Umbra almost didn't move, finding himself wanting to argue that he didn't think it was torture, but shook off that feeling. Before getting interrupted again, the teenager sped over to the door. But once again he found himself frozen, hand over the handle. Why was he running? What the hell was wrong with him?

Umbra glanced back, looking over the room. Both of the adults were still doting on their son, who looked happy with their praise despite his embarrassment. Murasaki was laughing away at the whole situation, and while that wasn't abnormal for her, somehow she looked more genuine than ever before. Then his eyes found Luna. Suddenly he found himself back in that alley, staring at the reflection in the broken window. His reflection, that all consuming darkness eating away at his face. The raw intensity that showed in the half that was visible. Luna's wide eyed look as though she saw the same thing.

Abruptly he found his eyes had once again met her's, orange meeting yellow. What was that emotion in her eyes? Fear? Suspicion? Worry? Could she somehow see through him? Know why he was here? Again that cold feeling filled every nerve in his body, his hand shaking over the handle. He scrunched his eyes shut and ripped the door open, stepping out into the cool night air. Being in a darken environment managed to ease his tensions, though much uncertainty remained. Part of him wanted to run far away from Vale, from LUMO. What was going on? Why was he feeling like this? What was that reflection of him? Why did Leif's parents make him feel so…

His cheeks stung as he smacked himself. He couldn't afford to be having these thoughts, these distractions. The Skugga charged him with a mission, and it was his duty to his tribe to carry it out. Everyone had placed their faith in him, to fulfill the Legend of Lightless Night. There could be no doubt, no obstacles, just success.

"I will bring glory once more to the Skugga," Umbra vowed, looking up at the night sky.

Yet seeing the broken moon above brought his mind right back to that alleyway and his own terrifying reflection.

* * *

The house was finally quiet, the fatigue of tonight's events really hitting Mura now. Leif's parents had turned in after setting up a futon bed for the girls to share on the living room floor. Umbra had elected to take a simple air mattress in the kitchen while Leif slept in his own room. But despite this unfamiliar setting, Mura couldn't help but feel at peace. No more looking over her shoulder, no more lying to those she cared about. No more worrying about getting dragged back to her mother, back to Stillfalls.

"Can't sleep?" she heard Luna whisper. Rolling over, she saw a concerned look on her partner's face.

"I'll get there soon enough. Hit the ground enough times to ensure that," Mura chuckled, though she felt her bruised ribs hurt as the sound escaped her lips.

"Are you sure your okay? I know that can't have been easy with your mom and uncle and your…well everything…"

"I'm fine Luna, I…" Mura trailed off, unsure what to say. There was still one secret left to share.

"I should have told you before but… a few years back, when I was thirteen, my dad… he committed suicide." There was a sharp intake of breath from her partner in shock.

"I-I had no idea."

"Well yeah, I certainly didn't give you much to work with…"

"We don't have to talk about it if you don't…"

"No, you deserve to know the truth. So do the boys, but they can wait for now." Mura took a deep breath before continuing. No more secrets.

"My dad worked for the Atlas Intelligence Division. Sure, he went through the same huntsman training my uncle did, but he never had the same knack for combat. What he lacked in fighting skills, he made up for in smarts, something that didn't go unnoticed by Atlas, or my mother for that matter." Her partner didn't say a word, but paid attention respectfully. Just another thing Mura loved about Luna. She listened.

"He loved his job, but it often meant he traveled often for work. Typically, nothing dangerous, but I guess… well I mean, it was never anything physically dangerous. But the amount of stress, them running him ragged… it must have just built up to the point where couldn't take it. The next thing I knew, he was gone, jumped off the falls." Tears began to drop, staining the pillow.

"Mom took it really hard, we both did… but it changed her. She started trying to control my every movement, tried to keep me locked up, 'where it was safe' she'd say," Mura continued, trying to ignore her tears "Eventually I couldn't take it anymore, and well… here I am." Now for the judgment, how would her partner react?

Warmth spread through her body as arms suddenly wrapped around her.

"Mura, I'm so sorry." Luna whispered, pulling her tight. "No one should have to go through that kind of loss." Mura couldn't find any words to say, instead simply returning the hug from her partner. It was never easy for her to think about her dad, but somehow this time felt easier.

Luna.

Luna made it easier.

"Thank you, for everything." Mura whispered, finding her voice. "I don't deserve you as a partner."

"I'll be the judge of that," Luna softly laughed, letting her go. "Just promise me one thing."

"Anything."

"Never run away again… or at least if you do, take all of us with you. We can't be LUMO without you after all."

Mura smiled, nodding. There would be no more running.

"I promise."

Because here, with Luna and LUMO at Beacon Academy, Murasaki was finally home.


	48. Found

**Beacon Dorm Rooftops, Vale**

"Why did I know I'd find you here?"

"Because it's where you, my nagging team leader would always find me when I tried not to be found," Star answered before taking another swig out of a bottle of rum.

"Did you ever think in our four years at Beacon that maybe you should have found a new hiding spot?" Celestia asked, eyeing her partner carefully.

"Too much work."

"Or…you actually wanted to be found each time."

"Your words." Ce just laughed before plopping down next to her long time partner and stared out past the cliffs at the twinkling lights of the city below. This place up on the roof brought her back twenty years ago, when she and Star were just students at Beacon, her the leader of team CSMS, and Star were unruly partner. Getting through Initiation together, competing in the Vytal Festival their senior year, Star's embarrassing attempt to ask her to the dance, their first kiss on this very rooftop… she finally noticed Star staring at her, with a shit-eating grin.

"You're remembering it aren't you?"

"Shut up and hand me that bottle."

"Knew it." Star laughed as she handed it over. The alcohol burned as Ce took a pull, but it helped get her head straight. The purpose for coming up here. As she turned to ask Star, she saw her partner's distant look up at the broken moon.

"So that was…"

"Mare's daughter. Almost didn't believe it at first, but the resemblance is uncanny. Same Faunus trait and everything." Star concluded.

"I never thought Moku would have sent his daughter here instead of local Haven."

"Well he might have thought it would help her with her Semblance. She has to be going through the same troubles Mare was she was her age."

"I think you give that brute too much credit."

"And I think you don't give him enough. Mare obviously loved him and if anyone could know the depths of someone's character it was her."

"Trust me, I know that all too well," Star snorted, though Ce could tell she was hurting. They both were, the events of sixteen years ago feeling as though it happened yesterday. She could only imagine what it must have been like for Mokuzai Okirikiri, who must have seen his late wife in his daughter everyday as she grew up. They had been meaning to pay him a visit after all these years, but given the circumstances, it was best Star came nowhere near that village, for the child's sake. But now that Luna was at Beacon…

"So what do we do now?"

"I don't know Ce…honestly we should leave as soon as possible before he catches up with us."

"We haven't seen him in months though."

"You and I both know that means nothing. The last thing we need is him to catch me here and find Luna, making him realize he screwed up when he killed Mare."

"And if he finds out about Luna some other way? Then what? Let that entire team get killed trying to protect her?"

"No of course not!" Star shot back, Ce wincing at her tone. She hated arguing with her partner. The woman must have noticed her hurt look, her expression becoming apologetic.

"Fucking Oz," She swore, changing the topic. "I swear that old bastard knew exactly what he was doing when he asked us to tag along with him tonight."

"You don't know that."

"Right just like he happened to put all four of us on a team together? Coincidence my ass…" Star's face drooped low, a familiar troubled look. Ce sighed then scooted over, wrapping her arm around the woman, pulling her close.

"I miss Mare." Star mumbled, a few tears becoming visible.

"I do, too." Ce agreed sadly. "But while she may be gone, her legacy is alive and well."

"Let's make sure she stays that way then." Star vowed.

"You sure you don't want to run? You weren't wrong about the risks…"

"I was too slow to reach Mare last time."

"Star…"

"But this time…this time I won't be."

"We won't be." Celestia corrected.

"Smartass," Star laughed, closing her eyes as she snuggled up closer to her partner. Ce smiled as she watched the beautiful woman fall asleep in her arms. Despite the many questions it raised for the future, she was grateful they met Luna Okirikiri tonight.

This was the first time she had seen Star sleep peacefully in many years.

* * *

"…for the well timed intervention by a team of Huntsman from Beacon, that the shooter was stopped before any shots became lethal."

Again he paused the footage, staring hard the frozen screen.

Unmistakable between the wolf ears and looks.

He truly had made a mistake sixteen years ago, killing Mare too late. His own ignorance had cost him dearly, thinking that he took care of that Aspect. And now, after all these years of frustratingly chasing Star around Remnant without success, he now once again had two targets. But unlike with Star, who had managed to stay out of sight for months now, he now had been given a chance.

A chance to fix a mistake.

A knock at the door startled him, forcing him to cut the monitor.

"Enter." He ordered. From the hallway, a dark skinned man entered, both his arms filled with ceremonial cuts, each one indicating a kill.

"The preparations are almost ready Master."

"Good work Nox, set out as soon as they are finished."

"Of course, will you be joining us?"

"That depends, has your man at Beacon sent any new information?"

"Well no…we didn't give young Imaly a way to contact us before we contacted him. Our youth are expected to fend for themselves without knowing they can fall back on the rest of the tribe." Annoying but unavoidable. The Skugga were nothing if not tradition bound, but for all their flaws, they more than made up for it in devotion and strength. His brow crinkled. The boy that Nox had sent to infiltrate Beacon might prove incredibly useful in the coming months, more than he or Nox could even begin to expect.

"Change of plans Nox, I want you to send a team of ahead of us, to get in touch with your apprentice."

"Why? Is there something in Vale-"

"Are you questioning my orders?"

"N-no sir," the proud warrior admitted, biting his tongue in shame.

"Prepare a team and send them to me for instructions. That will be all." Following a flick of his wrist, Nox bowed and pulled the door shut behind him. With that distraction gone, the man turned the monitor back on and rewound the clip.

"…for the well timed intervention by a team of Huntsman from Beacon, that the shooter was stopped before any shots became lethal." He paused it again right before that shield obstructed the camera, leaning in closer.

"Daughter of Mare, I found you at last."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that concludes the first major arc of the story! Don't worry, this story is far from over and I'm already hard at work at the next update!
> 
> Thank you so much if you've read the whole thing, it means so much to me that people find the story interesting and enjoyable! If you have any feedback, I'd love to hear it, I'm always looking to improve and the best way for me to do that is to hear what you, the reader, thinks! See you all soon with the next update!


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